Franck Kessie agrees personal terms with Juventus as club works to make room

Franck Kessie has made it clear that he wants to join Juventus and work under Luciano Spalletti, with an agreement between the Ivory Coast midfielder and the Italian club now close to completion.

According to Tuttosport, Kessie is waiting patiently while Juventus attempt to create space for him in their midfield squad. The move is no longer dependent on whether the player can be persuaded to join, but on the club’s ability to adjust its squad and free up a place for his registration.

Kessie is understood to be in line for a three-year contract worth 4.5m euros per season, together with a sizeable signing-on bonus. Those terms represent a compromise between the two parties and would provide the midfielder with less income than he could have earned by remaining in the Saudi Pro League.

Al-Ahli Saudi have tried in recent days to convince Kessie to return to the club, but the 28-year-old has made his preference clear. He is firmly committed to moving to Juventus and has shown a strong desire to become part of Spalletti’s squad.

As a free agent, Kessie would be able to join Juventus and be registered even after the transfer window has closed. There are also no apparent concerns over his physical condition. Reports indicate that the midfielder is in very good shape despite continuing to wait for the move to be completed.

Juventus are now focusing on reducing the number of midfielders in their squad to open a place for Kessie. Teun Koopmeiners, Fabio Miretti and Arthur are among the players reported to be candidates for departure as the club considers how to reorganise the position.

That means the remaining obstacle is not an issue with the player’s willingness to join or Juventus’ desire to complete the deal. Instead, the club must finalise its squad planning and find the necessary room to register the Ivory Coast international.

Until Juventus complete those changes, Kessie will continue training individually to maintain his fitness. He is waiting for the club’s next moves, which could eventually give him the opportunity to wear the Bianconeri shirt and begin working with Spalletti.

The proposed agreement would bring the midfielder back to Italy, where his next step depends largely on Juventus deciding which members of their current midfield group can leave. For now, Kessie remains on standby, with his personal decision already made and the Italian club working to resolve the final administrative and squad-related issue.