Franck Kessie reportedly has no desire to leave Barcelona this month despite the current speculation.
The Ivory Coast international ran down his contract at AC Milan before joining Barcelona on a free transfer, with the Catalan outfit beating a host of clubs to his signature.
The 26-year-old has made 18 appearances for Xavi's side during the 2022-23 campaign, scoring two goals and providing two assists in the process, but he has found it difficult to secure starts.
The midfielder has only featured in the first XI on two occasions in La Liga this term, with a number of players ahead of him in the pecking order when it comes to the middle of the park.
There has been speculation surrounding his future in recent days, with Inter Milan and Chelsea two of a number of clubs to be credited with an interest.
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However, according to Sport, Kessie is determined to remain at Camp Nou and fight for his spot in the side.
The report claims that the midfielder believes that the Copa del Rey contest with Ceuta on Thursday evening could be a turning point, as he put in arguably his best performance since joining the club.
Kessie scored once and provided two assists in the 5-0 win over the third-tier outfit, and Barcelona boss Xavi said after the match that he was delighted with the performance of his side.
"Today's players are not secondary players. We are all part of the same squad, they are all important players and I am convinced that they will be just as important between now and the end of the season," he told reporters.
"The team has been very serious. We are very happy. We showed that we have a great squad."
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Kessie is allegedly '100% certain' that he wants to remain with Barcelona, and his family are also happy and settled in the city, which is another reason why he has no interest in a move away this month.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta also recently said that the Ivorian would not be leaving the Catalan side before the end of the winter window.
"I don't have any intention of selling Kessie in January, he will continue to be important for us," Laporta told reporters. "We're happy with our squad, the players will continue to be important over the rest of the season."
Kessie starred for AC Milan ahead of his arrival at Barcelona, scoring 37 goals and registering 16 assists in 223 appearances in all competitions for the reigning Italian champions.
Matt Law
