Journalist Paul Brown is not convinced that AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie will add much to Tottenham's side if he moves to the Premier League club.
The 48-cap international is into his sixth season in Serie A, and it could well be his final one in Italy's top division.
What's the latest news involving Kessie?
Kessie joined Milan from Atalanta in 2017 on loan, before agreeing a permanent move two years later. However, his contract with the Rossoneri expires next summer, and he is yet to sign a new deal.
This has opened the door for a move away from the Serie A giants, and Tottenham seem to be very keen on landing the Ivorian.
New manager Antonio Conte has given Spurs the green light to go after Kessie, and it was recently claimed that they are close to reaching an agreement with Milan for the player.
What has Brown said about Kessie?
Brown believes Kessie would fit into Conte's system perfectly well, but he has concerns as to whether the 6 foot central midfielder is sufficiently different to the options that the Italian already has at his disposal.
Speaking about Kessie, he told GIVEMESPORT: “I think he suits Conte’s style. The problem is, he’s not the kind of player that Spurs’ don’t already have.”
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Is Kessie different to Tottenham's other midfielders?
Kessie has not been at his brilliant best this season, and has missed three Serie A matches due to injury and illness. If he keeps performing at his current level, then it is fair to say that he might not bring a lot to the table for Spurs.
Yet we have seen exactly how effective he can be in the past, especially last season. In 2020/21, he scored 13 league goals from midfield. Admittedly, plenty of these were penalties, but he still would be adding far more attacking intent than the likes of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Oliver Skipp in the middle of the park.
Furthermore, he also notched six assists last term in Serie A, showing the creative side to his game. At the moment, Tottenham's midfield often take the safe option on the ball, but Kessie has a tendency to take more risks, and this leads to setting up chances in the final third.
When you factor in that he can also make driving runs forward, it makes sense that Tottenham want to sign him, as he can be the complete midfielder, who has been described as "devastating" when on top form.
Considering he is valued at £49.5m by Transfermarkt, if Tottenham can reach a pre-agreement to take him off Milan for free next summer, it will be an excellent piece of business to kick-start the Conte era.
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