Official: Kessie returns to Atalanta after nine years as free agent
Quick summary
Franck Kessie has officially re-signed with Atalanta on a free transfer, returning to the club where he began his European career nine years ago.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceFranck Kessie has officially signed for Atalanta as a free agent, a return to the club where he started his Italian career, swinging back after nine years.
The midfielder was looking for a European adventure after three years with Al-Ahli, having moved from Milan to Barcelona as a free agent in 2022.
Kessie returns to Serie A for Atalanta Franck Kessie salutes in front of the Atalanta logo (@atalanta_bc) He was in advanced negotiations with Juventus, only for the talks to collapse this morning , and had also been in contact with Roma.
Atalanta were not even on the radar, but within hours of the initial discussions being reported, he had put pen to paper on a new contract.
JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA – APRIL 29: Franck Kessie of Al-Ahli Saudi reacts during the AFC Champions League Elite Semi Final between Al Hilal and Al Ahli at King Abdullah Sports City Hall Stadium on April 29, 2025 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images) It is a remarkable turn of events, because Kessie started his Italian career with the Atalanta youth academy in January 2015.
He graduated to the senior squad and impressed enough to earn a €32m transfer to Milan in the summer of 2017.
TORONTO, ONTARIO – JUNE 20: Franck Kessie #8 of Cote d’Ivoire celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group E match between Germany and Cote D’Ivoire at Toronto Stadium on June 20, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) Still young enough to make a significant impact in Serie A and the Conference League, Kessie is set to turn 30 in December.
There were 31 senior appearances for La Dea in his first stint, where he scored seven goals and provided four assists.
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What happened
Franck Kessie has completed a return to Atalanta as a free agent, bringing an end to a nine-year absence from the Bergamo club. The Ivorian midfielder originally developed at Atalanta before joining AC Milan in 2017, where he became a Serie A standout. He later moved to Barcelona in 2022 and then to Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia, but now returns to Serie A on a free transfer. Atalanta gain a physically imposing, experienced central midfielder without paying a fee, though the financial terms of the contract and his current match fitness remain to be seen after his spell in the Saudi Pro League.
Chance analysis
Kessie's homecoming is a feel-good story that also carries real squad-building value for Atalanta. They are getting a Champions League-experienced midfielder with Serie A pedigree at no transfer cost, which fits the club's well-established model of acquiring players whose market value has dipped but whose quality remains high. The key questions will be match sharpness after time in Saudi Arabia and how quickly he adapts to Gian Piero Gasperini's system, but the upside is considerable for a side that regularly competes in European competition.
Atalanta gain an experienced, athletic midfielder at no cost, strengthening squad depth; immediate impact depends on his match fitness after Saudi Arabia.