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Wolves have been linked with one of the hottest prospects in Italian football - and prepared to smash their transfer record to land them.

That is according to reports in Italy, who claim Wolves were prepared to pay £36 million - double the record transfer fee expected to be forked out on Adama Traore - for Franck Kessie.

Ivorian Kessie is a key part of the AC Milan midfield, despite being only 21. He has been a regular feature in Italy since the age of 18, turning out for Atlanta, Cesena and Milan.

Now a report in Calciomercato has claimed Wolves were prepared to pay 40 million euros - £36 million - for his services.

However, AC Milan boss Gennaro Gattuso is desperate for him to stay, they report.

(Image: Getty Images North America)

He is actually on loan at Milan, although the two year deal includes an option to buy before 2019.

Kessie has already turned out 21 times for his national side, despite his youth.

He has also courted interest from Athletico Madrid this summer.

Elsewhere, a midfielder linked with both Wolves and West Brom this summer looks set for the exit door in coming days.

Central midfielder Josef de Souza is said to have been make available by Feberbache amid interest from England.

West Brom have been linked with a move for more than a year, and are known to want a central midfielder before the transfer window closes. Wolves were also linked with a bid in the Turkish press earlier this summer.

But it is Crystal Palace are the latest to be linked with a move - and Haber7 reports that might well happen.

It was reported by Haber7 that Fenerbahce want to sell the 29-year-old in order to avoid potential Financial Fair Play sanctions while freeing up funds to bring in a much-needed centre-forward.

De Souza was the subject of an offer of just under £11m by the Baggies in the summer transfer window last year, only for the club to pull out of the deal when they discovered they could snap up Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak instead.