Franck Kessie’s agent shrugs off Barcelona exit rumours

Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie will not leave Camp Nou in January, according to his agent George Atangana.

Recent reports suggested that the Ivorian midfielder is considering quitting Blaugrana due to his lack of regular game time.

Barca fought off plenty of European giants for Kessie’s free transfer this summer after the midfielder refused to extend his contract with AC Milan.

However, he has endured a disappointing debut campaign in La Liga, failing to nail down a place in the starting eleven.

The 25-year-old is well down the pecking order, making only two starts in seven games in La Liga. He has also been left on the bench four times.

However, Atangana has labelled the exit rumours as false, claiming that Kessie is happy at Barca and learning to adapt to the club’s style of play.

Kessie’s agent told Mundo Deportivo: “They are fake news, totally false. Kessie is very happy at Barca and at Barcelona.

“He’s only been at the club for a few months and he’s still in the process of adapting to the team and the Barca style of play, which has nothing to do with the rest of the clubs, and, therefore, it takes time.”

Barca are planning for reinforcements in the winter transfer window after enduring a catastrophic Champions League campaign, which saw them crash out of the competition in the group stage for the second consecutive season.

Signing a top-class defensive midfielder remains a priority as they have been disappointed with Sergio Busquets’ dip in his performances.

Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Ruben Neves and Ajax’s Edson Alvarez are high on the wishlist of the Blaugrana.