Despite boasting a wealth of central midfielders in his squad, Southampton manager Claude Puel is keen on adding another in the form of Atalanta’s Franck Kessie, report The Mirror.
The 19-year-old Ivory Coast international saw a transfer to Sunderland fall through over the summer so this could be a second-time-lucky crack at the top flight for the teenager.
While Oriol Romeu and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg have impressed this term, defensive midfielder Kessie is still on Puel’s wishlist and even boasts a good eye for goal.
Despite being a defensive-minded player, Kessie has already struck four goals in nine appearances for Atalanta so far this season and his performances have also alerted the likes of Juventus, Monaco, Napoli and Schalke.
With competition for Kessie’s signature fierce, Saints will also have to keep an eye on his international appearances with Ivory Coast.
This is due to the fact that Kessie’s proposed switch to Sunderland fell through due to the player not completing 75% of Ivory Coast’s international games over the past two years.
However, with the African Cup of Nations on the horizon, perhaps Kessie can make up the required number of games at that tournament.