£12m target would ‘definitely be upgrade on John McGinn’

Aston Villa may have identified the perfect upgrade for John McGinn in central midfield as they look to strengthen in the January transfer window, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The man in question is current Barcelona player Franck Kessie, who has made 13 appearances for the Spanish giants so far this season, but may be available on a cut-price deal.

What is the latest news involving Kessie?

According to Spanish publication SPORT, Aston Villa are one of two Premier League clubs interested in the 25-year-old, with Fulham also considering putting together a bid.

The report suggests that the fee Villa would be willing to pay is somewhere in the region of £12m, as Barca are looking to recoup some of their monetary losses from crashing out of the Champions League group stages.

As per a recent update from Italy, the Catalonian side may also try to use Kessie as a bargaining chip in their bid to sign Douglas Luiz, so a swap deal could also be on the cards.

What has Jones said about Kessie?

Jones believes that Kessie would be an improvement on the current options in the Villa midfield, namely John McGinn.

In an interview with GIVEMESPORT, Jones said:

“I find them quite difficult players to compare, but having Kessie in the midfield would definitely be an upgrade on having McGinn in there, based on recent form from McGinn anyway.”

Would Kessie improve Aston Villa?

Ultimately, if Villa want to progress in their ‘strategic plan‘ to qualify for European competition, they must improve the current squad, and the signing of Kessie would go a long way in doing just that.

Dubbed “fantastic” by Serie A analyst Matteo Bonetti, the 6 foot maestro has exactly the sort of pedigree needed at Villa Park, appearing in all six of Barcelona’s Champions League games this season, and scoring once.

Not only that, but the Ivorian displayed incredible creative talents during his time with AC Milan, registering 13 goals and 6 assists in the 2020/21 Serie A season, a marked improvement on Unai Emery’s current options.

Indeed, McGinn has struggled this term, yet to register a goal or an assist in 17 appearances in all competitions, while Emi Buendia has faced similar issues, contributing just one goal up to this point.

As such, Kessie would be a far superior option for Emery in the centre of the Villa midfield, and the recruitment team should do everything possible to ensure that they secure his signature in January.

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