Roma prepared to offer more than Juventus for free agent Kessie

Juventus are still hoping to conclude a deal to bring free agent Franck Kessie back to Serie A, but reports on Friday claim that Roma are prepared to offer the Ivory Coast international a bigger wage packet in order to lure him to the capital.

Where Roma and Juventus stand with Kessie

Kessie has been linked with a potential move to Juventus for much of the summer, and recent reports claim that there is already an offer of a two-year contract with an option to extend for a further 12 months on the table.

Friday’s reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport add that Juventus are willing to pay Kessie €7m in wages over a two-year period (€3.5m per season), but that the Bianconeri are not prepared to increase their proposal.

The Bianconeri are expecting to hear back with a response from Kessie and his entourage within the next few days.

Meanwhile, reports over the last few days suggest that Roma are also interested in offering Kessie a return to Serie A and La Gazzetta dello Sport claims that they are willing to offer more than Juventus in order to get the deal done.

However, La Gazzetta dello Sport insists that Kessie is not driven by the financial side of a deal given that he has just come off a lucrative three years in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ahli.

Roma do have another advantage, though, in the form of head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who brought Kessie to Atalanta back in 2015 and gave him his first opportunities in the Italian top flight.

Still, La Gazzetta dello Sport hints that Juventus might still be Kessie’s preference, although nothing can be ruled out at this stage.