Tottenham target Franck Kessie joins Barcelona’s Al-Ahli for £11m to join Roberto Firmino and Riyad Mahrez in Saudi Pro League
- Franck Kessie joins Al-Ahli for £10.8m, playing alongside Roberto Firmino
- The 26-year-old was linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur, but no bid was made
- Spurs had an approach rejected by Kessie in January and missed again
Franck Kessie has officially signed for Saudi Pro League team Al-Ahli from Barcelona.
The Saudi side will pay £10.8 million for the 26-year-old, who has been in the spotlight this summer from several top English clubs, including Tottenham and Liverpool.
Kessie becomes the fifth player to join Al-Ahli from a European side, following ex-Premier League players Riyad Mahrez, Roberto Firmino, Edouard Mendy and Alain Saint-Maximin.
Al-Ahli is one of several clubs owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) alongside national champions Al-Ittihad, Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal.
PIF is run by Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler of the kingdom, as a way to diversify the country’s economy and reduce their dependence on oil as a main source of income.
Franck Kessie plays with Riyad Mahrez, Roberto Firmino, Edouard Mendy and Alain Saint-Maximin in Al-Ahli
Kessie came to Barcelona last summer but quickly fell out of favor with manager Xavi Hernandez
PIF owns 75 percent of all four clubs, while their non-profit foundations own the remaining 25 percent of each.
Before joining Al-Ahli, Kessie was strongly linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur.
Spurs reportedly attacked the Ivory Coast international in January but turned down the promotion as he wanted to fight for his place in Xavi Hernandez’s side.
Kessie continued to struggle to establish himself as a regular starter in Catalonia and was subsequently linked again with a move to North London.
However, no official offer came from Spurs, despite reportedly keen to take over his services.
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