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KESS CHASE
Man Utd transfer blow in Franck Kessie race with AC Milan’s 25-year-old midfielder on brink of Barcelona move on free
FRANCK KESSIE is reportedly on the verge of signing for Barcelona, in a blow to Manchester United.
The AC Milan star's San Siro contract is set to expire this summer, sparking plenty of interest from around Europe.
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United are keen on Kessie, while Tottenham would also like to secure his signature.
But according to Spanish paper , Barca have won the race for the 25-year-old's signature.
They claim that Kessie has chosen to snub offers from England in order to join the LaLiga giants.
Xavi's side are said to be scouring the free agent market, as they did last year by recruiting Sergio Aguero, Eric Garcia and Memphis Depay.
Despite their financial woes, Kessie's contract is not thought to be an issue.
They claim that he is earning around £30,000-a-week at Milan - and that his representatives have asked for that to be increased to £80k-a-week.
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It's added that Barca believe that Kessie can perform a similar role to that of Xavi's former team-mate Seydou Keita.
Club chiefs consider the signing a bargain, believing the player to be worth around £42million.
Barca have been on the up of late, having climbed back into LaLiga's top four.
January signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has hit the ground running - bagging five goals in his last three games.
The latest came in his side's 4-0 romp past Athletic Bilbao.
Barca also moved into the last 16 of the Europa League by storming past Napoli.
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