Serie A star not interested in joining Newcastle United

Newcastle United will miss out on securing the services of AC Milan’s rising star this summer.

Newcastle United and their supporters are flying high at the moment after defeating Sheffield United by three goals and maintaining a clean sheet in the process. Despite all the media headlines regarding the prospective takeover of the club, the players did not allow all that gossip to distract them.

Steve Bruce is currently focused on preparing his team for their next game against Aston Villa as a win could see his side break into the top ten. Behind the scenes, the scouting department continues to identify potential targets for the summer transfer window.

As a result of all the takeover reports, Newcastle United have been linked with several players from Europe’s top leagues, including AC Milan star man Franck Kessie. According to multiple reports that were published in the last month, Kessie is at the top of the Magpies’ transfer list, but the interest is not mutual.

In a recent interview for Milan TV, Kessie enjoys playing for the Italian giants even though their form in recent years does not reflect their overall reputation as a club. The Ivory Coast international has spent his entire career in Italy, with his last three seasons being at the San Siro.

At the young age of 23, Kessie has already made 124 Serie A appearances and also has 40 international caps under his belt. Newcastle United are searching for a box-to-box midfielder who can complement Jonjo Shelvey in midfield, but it does not look like Kessie will be that man.

Shelvey is primarily paired up with Isaac Hayden, and although Hayden has done a remarkable job defensively by disrupting counter-attacks and recovering the ball, his offensive involvement has been minimal. Newcastle United are hoping to bring in a player who can be aggressive defensively, but is also capable of leading attacks and getting on the score sheet.

Newcastle United need more creativity in midfield to improve their numbers as a squad. Since making the jump back to the Premier League in 2017, Newcastle United have failed to score more than 42 goals in a season.

Kessie is averaging five goals and two assists per season with AC Milan. Those numbers are not overly impressive, but he would undoubtedly provide Newcastle United with an offensive boost.

At the moment, though, the odds of Kessie trading the red and black stripes of AC Milan for the black and white stripes of Newcastle United are slim. Then again, the world of football is unpredictable and a move could still happen a few months from now, especially if new owners take charge.