Atalanta close to bringing Franck Kessie back on a free transfer

According to Fabrizio Romano, Atalanta are close to re-signing their former midfielder Franck Kessie, seven years after his previous spell with the Italian club came to an end.

The 29-year-old Ivory Coast international is currently a free agent after leaving Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal. That status has opened the way for a return to Atalanta, where Kessie first established himself in European football after joining the club as a youngster in the summer of 2015.

Kessie’s possible comeback would reunite the midfielder with the club that gave him his first major opportunity in Italy. Atalanta originally recruited him at the beginning of his senior career, and he remained under contract with the club until the summer of 2019.

Although his time with Atalanta began in 2015, Kessie’s career has since taken him to some of the biggest stages in European and international football. He went on to win the Scudetto with AC Milan in 2022, before adding the Africa Cup of Nations title with Ivory Coast in 2024.

The midfielder has won 104 caps for Ivory Coast and remains one of the country’s most prominent international players. His return to Bergamo would therefore bring an experienced player back to the club where his professional journey first began.

Kessie’s departure from Al-Hilal has left him without a club, allowing Atalanta to pursue the deal without needing to negotiate a transfer fee with his former employers. Romano’s report indicates that the Serie A club are now nearing an agreement to bring back a player who already has a long history with them.

The proposed move would mark the latest chapter in Kessie’s relationship with Atalanta. He first arrived in Italy in the summer of 2015 as a young player, remained linked to the club through the summer of 2019 and later developed a distinguished career elsewhere.

His honours include the Scudetto won with AC Milan in 2022 and the Africa Cup of Nations secured with Ivory Coast in 2024. Those achievements, together with his 104 international appearances, would make him a significantly more experienced player than the one Atalanta signed in 2015.

For now, the deal remains at the stage of being close rather than officially completed. However, if the move goes through, Kessie will return to the club that recruited him as a youngster after seven years away, with Atalanta poised to welcome back one of their former players.