Tottenham dealt January transfer blow as 25-year-old target takes stance on his future | OneFootball

Tottenham Hotspur set to fail in January transfer bid for AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie

According to the Italian publication Calciomercato (h/t ESPN), Tottenham Hotspur are expected to fail in their pursuit of AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie in the January transfer window. He was one of the priority targets for this month which means that this update will be a damning blow for their interest.

The 25-year-old has decided to stay at San Siro for the remainder of this campaign. The midfielder is looking to see out his current contract with the Serie A club and plan his next destination after considering all options before him.

Kessie will become a free agent at the end of this season, making him an exciting prospect who can be landed on the cheap this month.

Franck Kessie will become a free agent next summer. (Photo by ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP via Getty Images)

Antonio Conte has demanded the Spurs board to back him in the winter transfer window but there has been precious little of it on show so far. Moreover, this piece of news will definitely be asking for his wrath as the North London club look set to go up against another obstacle in their path.

Why? Just why?

Kessie’s decision could not have come at a worse time for Spurs. Tanguy Nadombele and Dele Alli have fallen from grace and their immediate future at the club looks uncertain. This further limits Conte’s options when it comes to his midfield options.

Giovani Lo Celso was also left out of the last Premier League fixture against Chelsea, which was surprising, to say the least. This decision might give us an idea about what is to come regarding the Argentine’s future at N17.

Tottenham set to miss out on Franck Kessie this month. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

With three midfielders possibly on the chopping block, we needed reinforcement in the centre of the pitch this month to boost our chances of a top-four finish in the league. We cannot be expected to challenge with just Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Oliver Skipp and Harry Winks in midfield.

The need for quality players was highlighted even further by the 2-0 loss we suffered at the hands of the Blues. The fact that we fell to Chelsea thrice in January showcases the lack of options we have to change our fortunes at the moment. We still are some way away from challenging the top sides in the Premier League.

It will be interesting to see how Conte will react if Tottenham does not make any signings this month. But we would hope that is not the case as our Champions League qualification is hanging in the balance at this moment.