“It’s normal” Kessie breaks silence on snubbing Juventus for Atalanta | OneFootball

Franck Kessie was widely expected to move to Juventus this summer as a free agent, and he tried his best to make the transfer happen. The midfielder waited patiently for Juve to offload some players and make a move for him, believing the opportunity to join the Bianconeri was within reach.

It was a move that would have represented an exception for Juventus, as the club had previously decided against signing players who had had a spell in the Saudi Pro League. Kessie remains a top player, as he showed at the World Cup, and Juve were keen to add him to their squad during the transfer window.

Kessie chose a return to Atalanta

Despite the interest from Juve, Kessie ultimately ended up at Atalanta. La Dea was his first club when he moved to Europe as a youngster, and he is happy to return to a familiar environment after his unsuccessful attempt to join the Bianconeri.

Kessie was reportedly close to a move to Juve before rejecting their approach. The Bianconeri had been expected to return with a better offer for his signature, but the midfielder was announced as a new Atalanta player before that could happen.

(Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)

Midfielder explains his decision

Kessie has now spoken about the failed transfer, although he did not want to discuss the situation in too much detail. He was still asked about the Bianconeri’s interest and explained his decision to choose Atalanta, as quoted by Calciomercato:

“It’s normal that when you’re free, there are lots of teams interested in you. I spoke to other teams, but when Atalanta came along, I had no doubts. It was a choice of the heart, an easy decision.”

The midfielder’s comments make it clear that returning to Atalanta was an important personal decision for him. While Juventus had shown interest and appeared willing to make an exception for his signing, Kessie ultimately preferred the opportunity to return to the club where his European journey began.

For Juve, the decision means they missed out on an experienced midfielder they had wanted to add to their squad. For Kessie, however, the chance to return to La Dea proved impossible to turn down.