CM: Gazidis blocked €45m midfielder swap deal between Milan and Inter in January

By Oliver Fisher -

AC Milan CEO Ivan Gazidis decided to block a swap deal with Inter involving midfielder Franck Kessie, a report claims.

It was first reported by il Corriere della Sera on Tuesday that the Nerazzurri want to offer Vecino in exchange for midfielder Franck Kessie, with Antonio Conte keen on acquiring the Ivorian to bolster a midfield department which has suffered with injuries.

According to a report from Calciomercato.com’s Daniele Longo, Conte was indeed determined to add Kessie to his squad during the January transfer window and was willing to offer up Matias Vecino in a swap deal to get it over the line.

However, Gazidis decided to block the operation from taking place this month, while Longo adds that a fresh attempt from the Nerazzurri to sign the 22-year-old in the summer transfer window.

Kessie has found himself a mainstay in Stefano Pioli’s starting XI since the switch to a 4-4-2 formation, but it was reported by Calciomercato.com on Thursday that he may be allowed to leave at the end of the season unless he proves he can be consistent.

Vecino has been widely reported to have a €20m price tag, Kessie more around the €25m mark.

Tags AC Milan Franck Kessie Matias Vecino
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