Arsenal: Thank God, we’re talking about Franck Kessie again

Arsenal were linked to Franck Kessie earlier this spring, but it had since gone quiet. Now, though, he’s back in the conversation, and thank God for that.

I spent a lot of time over the last few months moaning about how impossible it will be for Arsenal to replace Aaron Ramsey, let alone with one man. They just can’t do it. He meant more to the club than just his numbers, and his numbers were tremendous in and of themselves.

I looked at a ton of names, I think my tally for comparable players is up to 13 or so now, and not that many get me excited, whether they be internal solutions or players we can spend our limited funds on.

But one of the guys that absolutely has me excited is AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie. He was one of the first names that appeared in relation to replacing Ramsey and thus he was the first name to cut through the inherent despair at the Welshman’s departure. Since then, only Donny van de Beek has produced a similar sensation.

It’s hard to really assess where to start when it comes to replacing someone like Ramsey, because no matter who you get, it’s already going to be a step down due to the Welshman’s decade with the club and his impalpable heroism – both of which can only be replicated with time.

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But if you have to start, it has to start with two things – versatility and threat to goal. Ideally you want a player who does a little bit of everything and has that inherent ability to put the ball in the net. That’s a difficult combination to find when you’re hoping to combine it with work ethic and defensive potential.

Franck Kessie checks the boxes. He needs a little improvement on the defensive side of things, but the willingness to do it gives the necessary hope that, with the right guidance, he’ll be able to do it consistently.

And the fact that he scored seven goals (and added two assists), coupled with the way he plays the game, shows that he may have that Ramsey-esque gene after all – that ability to dabble in all things and excel in what’s needed at any given moment.

Honestly, I’m just happy he’s back in the conversation. Maybe Ivan Gazidis can throw us a bone and ship Kessie over to the Emirates. £30m is a more than fair price to pay.