Tottenham Hotspur were reportedly interested in signing Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie during the summer transfer window.
The Ivory Coast international was set to be one of the most in-demand free agents on the market after leaving AC Milan upon the expiration of his contract.
During his final season with the Rossoneri, Kessie played an integral role in their run to the Serie A title and was linked with moves to the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal.
However, Barcelona quickly won the race to sign the 26-year-old on a free transfer, although he has struggled to become a mainstay of the Blaugrana starting lineup in his debut season.
According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, writing in his column for CaughtOffside, Kessie was of interest to Tottenham over the summer, but Antonio Conte's side did not formalise their interest.
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"Before he left Milan at the end of his contract, there were other opportunities – Tottenham were interested in signing Kessie, but it was never an advanced negotiation," Romano wrote.
Kessie initially joined Milan on loan from Atalanta BC in 2017 before making his move permanent two years later, and he enjoyed a productive stay at San Siro.
The Ivory Coast international recorded 37 goals and 16 assists in 223 appearances for Stefano Pioli's side, including six strikes in their Scudetto-winning 2021-22 campaign.
So far at Barcelona, Kessie has registered one goal in 13 appearances for La Blaugrana, but he has started a mere two games in La Liga and a further three in the Champions League.
The former Stella Club youngster is behind the likes of Gavi, Pedri and Sergio Busquets in the pecking order, and he is also competing for minutes with Frenkie de Jong.
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There have been suggestions that Barcelona are already willing to cash in on Kessie, who is under contract in 2026, and he has been linked with a surprise move to Inter Milan.
The Nerazzurri are allegedly keen to bring Kessie back to San Siro on loan in January, but Romano has affirmed that no discussions are taking place, and the midfielder is purely focused on coming good in Catalonia.
"Inter have always appreciated Franck Kessie since he was at Atalanta before his move to AC Milan, but right now there are no talks to sign him between clubs. His agent stated that he will stay in January; Kessie still hopes to do his best for Barcelona," Romano added.
Tottenham dipped into the Serie A market to sign Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus in January before bringing in Yves Bissouma in the summer, and Pape Sarr is also at Conte's disposal following his arrival from Metz.
However, the likes of Giovani Lo Celso, Harry Winks and Tanguy Ndombele could potentially depart Tottenham in 2023, which would open up space in Conte's ranks for a new midfielder.
Ben Knapton
