Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Franck Kessie sustained an injury during the Ivory Coast’s African Cup of Nations meeting with Egypt on Wednesday.
The AC Milan midfielder was handed a place in the starting XI as Les Elephants attempted to plot a route through to the quarter-finals of the competition against Mohamed Salah ’s side.
However, they were not able to call upon his services for very long as he was withdrawn in just the 29th minute of the game due to what seemed like a hip injury.
Kessie was eventually replaced by Serey Die, with the first-half in Cameroon eventually ending goalless.
Whilst the injury will of course be disappointing for the midfielder, with him having been a near ever-present for the Ivory Coast throughout the tournament, it is also another blow for Tottenham as they attempt to secure his signature.
The north London outfit had been linked with the 25-year-old, with links re-emerging during the January transfer with Fabio Paratici keen to find midfield recruits after the futures of Giovani Lo Celso, Tanguy Ndombele and Dele Alli had been called into question.
Depending on how severe Kessie’s injury is, it seems unlikely that Spurs would pursue a player that would not be ready to take to the pitch immediately.
The injury is not the only stumbling block that Spurs have faced though in their attempts to bring the former Atalanta man to north London.
Spanish giants Barcelona are reportedly in the running to sign the midfielder at the end of the campaign, with Kessie’s current contract at AC Milan set to expire at the conclusion of the season.
He would of course be available on a free transfer and the Catalan side appear to have edged towards securing his services with reports in Italy claiming that he has already agreed personal terms with Barca ahead of a switch to the Camp Nou.
