Report: West Ham ready to rival Wolves for £25.6m-rated AC Milan midfielder

Italian outlet Milan Live have claimed West Ham United are ready to join the race to sign AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie, which will see Manuel Pellegrini’s side rival Wolverhampton Wanderers and AS Monaco.

Kessie, 22, has been long linked with a move to Wolves despite remaining first choice for Milan this season. The 39-time Ivory Coast international has only just joined Milan on a permanent basis in the summer, after an initial two-year loan from Atalanta.

He now has 108 appearances under his belt for Milan, and it has attracted interest from Wolves. Now, West Ham have joined the race to sign the tough-tackling midfielder – who has scored 13 goals in red and black stripes.

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It is believed Kessie will be sold by Milan if a fee of £25.6million is tabled by any interested parties – as early as January. West Ham do have options in central midfield, in Mark Noble, Declan Rice, Carlos Sanchez, Pablo Fornals and Jack Wilshere.

TBR’s view – Kessie a bargain at around £25m, West Ham need him

Though the Hammers have options in central midfield on paper, they are lacking. Noble and Rice are regular starters, but Sanchez is injury prone and has played just 11 Premier League matches since joining the club in the summer of 2018.

Summer signing Fornals is more of an attacking midfielder that can also play out wide, rather than a steely central midfielder such as Noble and Rice. Wilshere’s injury woes are well documented.

Pellegrini needs a central midfielder just like Kessie and at £25million, he is a bargain.