Franck Kessie bids farewell to Barcelona after Al Ahli transfer
- Kessie left Barcelona to join Al Ahli earlier this week
- Ivory Coast international spent one season with Barcelona after joining on a free transfer
- Ousmane Dembele set to be the next to leave Barca
By Tom Gott
Franck Kessie has posted a farewell message to Barcelona after completing his move to Saudi Arabian side Al Ahli.
The 26-year-old moved to Camp Nou on a free transfer last summer after his AC Milan contract expired and managed 43 appearances in all competitions during his time in Catalonia, but he was restricted to just seven La Liga starts as Xavi preferred other options in midfield.
Following the arrival of Ilkay Gundogan this year, Kessie was made available for transfer and he ultimately opted to reject interest from Europe in favour of an expensive switch to Saudi side Al Ahli.
Despite a challenging 12 months at Barcelona, Kessie has moved to end on good terms with a parting message to fans.
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"This beautiful experience with Barcelona has come to an end," he wrote on Instagram. "It has been a year full of personal and team satisfaction.
"It has been an honour and a privilege to wear these colours, win and fight for you. I want to thank the club for this beautiful season, the entire coaching staff and the Blaugrana fans to whom I will always be tied.
"Now our paths separate, but I will always be cheering for you!"
Barcelona's summer business is not expected to finish here as winger Ousmane Dembele is also closing in on a move to Paris Saint-Germain.
Those sales will help Barcelona register all their new signings, including Gundogan, whose contract contains a clause allowing him to leave for free if he is not registered by the time the new season begins this weekend.
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