How Franck Kessie will improve Barcelona next season

The 25-year-old midfielder was one of the most sought-after players in Europe, with his contract expiring this summer and Barcelona have wasted no time in snapping him up. 

We’ve taken a look into Barcelona’s current midfield options and have assessed where Kessie is likely to fit in.  

 

 

Franck Kessié this season 

There’s a strong possibility Franck Kessié will be lifting silverware at the end of the season as AC Milan currently sit top of Serie A and are three points clear of Napoli in second place.  

The Ivorian has certainly had an impact on Milan this season and he leads the way in several statistics.  

He’s played the majority of the season as a defensive midfielder, but he has also played a handful of matches in a more advanced role which shows how versatile he can be.  

He likes to make driving runs into the box and he has scored five goals for Milan this season. Although he isn’t mostly known for his goalscoring ability, he does always chip in with a few goals throughout the season. Across his 95 appearances for Milan, he has scored 22 goals. 

Off the ball, Kessie has averaged 1.2 tackles as well as 0.8 interceptions per 90.  

When it comes to ball retention, he ranks in the top 8% of Serie A players this season with a pass completion rate of 89.5%.  

Despite not yet registering any assists for the season, his creative numbers do highlight what he’s capable of in this regard.  

The 25-year-old has averaged one dribble and key pass per 90 as well as 2.59 shot-creating actions per game. He also completes 3.73 progressive carries per 90 and there don’t seem to be any obvious weaknesses in his game. 

 

Barcelona’s midfield this season 

Under Xavi, Barcelona have mostly used a 433 system, with their preferred midfield trio being Frenkie de Jong, Sergio Busquets and Pedri. So where does Kessie fit in? 

You would imagine that he is being built up as Sergio Busquets replacement in the long run, but that’s certainly not to say that Busquets is done at the top level.  

No player has completed more passes in La Liga this season than Busquets with 1822, which highlights just how much he’s involved with Barcelona’s build-up play.  

Being calm on the ball in pressured situations is also vital for a Barcelona holding midfielder and Busquets is a master of this. He has completed the third most amount of passes under pressure in La Liga this season with 477.  

While Kessie can’t quite compete with those numbers, he has completed 109 passes while under pressure this season.  

An area where Kessie will undoubtedly improve Barcelona though is his work rate off the ball. He has completed 320 pressures this season, which is only bettered by Busquets and Nico González in the Barcelona squad.  

Under Xavi there has been more of an emphasis placed on winning the ball back and so Kessie should thrive in this system.  

He has won 68 tackles and interceptions throughout the season, which is more than both Pedri and Gavi combined.  

Kessie is an overall well-rounded midfielder who would be able to fill in anywhere across Barcelona’s midfield. If he is played in a more advanced role, this will take advantage of his instincts in front of goal and allow him to drive into the box, but he can also slot into a holding midfield role. 

Barcelona are fortunate to be in a position with the midfield that they have, that they should be able to allow Kessie time to adapt next season and he could be a star for them in years to come.