Barcelona star unwilling to join Serie A club in swap deal - Reports

Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie has reportedly rejected the chance to join Inter Milan in a swap deal. The Ivorian is only willing to accept an offer that would see him earn significantly more than his salary with the Catalan side.

As per a report in SPORT, Kessie is adamant about not leaving Barcelona this summer. The 26-year-old is a target for Inter Milan, who want to sign him in exchange for Marcelo Brozovic.

The Croatia international is open to joining Barcelona, and Inter were hoping to use him in the swap deal to get Kessie. The Blaugrana are also interested in getting the 30-year-old as the replacement for Sergio Busquets.

Xavi has been insisting on getting a defensive midfielder, and Brozovic was on the list of candidates he wanted. Barcelona have already lost Ruben Neves and N'Golo Kante to Saudi Arabian sides and are hoping to lure the Croatian.

However, Brozovic also seems to be heading to the Middle East, with Al-Nassr holding talks with Inter Milan over a potential deal.

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Franck Kessie not interested in leaving Barcelona

Franck Kessie has been clear about his future with Barcelona since rumors of a potential exit first arose midway through the 2022/23 season. He has insisted that he will not look for a move away as he wants to keep playing at Camp Nou despite not getting his desired playtime.

He was quoted by SPORT as saying:

"Every player wants to play and when you do, you feel very happy. When you play, you have to give everything for the team, from the first to the last minute, and that's what I try to do."

He added:

"When you hear your name in another country, it means that you have proven everything there. That's the first thing you have to see. That's why I'm happy because many teams wanted me in Italy, but here I have signed a four-year contract and I am a Barca player. I have only been here for one season and I see myself here for many years."

The Catalan giants signed Kessie last summer on a free transfer after he ran down his contract with AC Milan. He started just seven La Liga games last season and came off the bench 21 times.

The Ivory Coast international scored once in the league - a crucial stoppage-time winner against Real Madrid in March - and once each in the UEFA Champions League and the Copa del Rey.