Arsenal Transfer News: Franck Kessie Interest Confirmed, Latest Rumours

The transfer saga surrounding Atalanta starlet Franck Kessie has taken yet another turn, as his agent has rubbished reports AS Roma are close to landing the Ivorian. He has also confirmed Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal have all expressed an interest in the player.

Kessie was believed to be on the verge of agreeing to a move to the Italian capital toward the end of the January transfer window, with multiple outlets from the peninsula claiming negotiations were ongoing.

As shared by Goal's Nizaar Kinsella, Roma manager Luciano Spalletti added fuel to the fire when he confirmed he wanted the Ivory Coast international in his squad:

But Kessie's agent, George Atangana, who remained remarkably quiet during the saga, has now come forward to rubbish those claims.

Speaking to Calciomercato.com (h/t Football Italia), he said Roma never even made contact to begin with: "There's an African proverb which says: 'maybe it will happen when chickens grow teeth.' There was absolutely never any contact between me and Roma. I was never called. I met with the Atalanta executives, and they confirmed that talks never started."

Per Calciomercato.com (h/t Daily Mirror's James Whaling), he added: "We have a lot of interest from the Premier League. Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal."

Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images

The 20-year-old has been the top breakout star in Serie A this season, guiding Atalanta to a fantastic start to the campaign. The club from Bergamo have already cashed in on Mattia Caldara and Roberto Gagliardini, and Kessie was expected to be next.

Kessie was only converted from a centre-back to central midfielder last season and has sky-high potential, with plenty of pundits already comparing him to compatriot Yaya Toure. His eventual transfer fee will be greater than that of Caldara and Gagliardini, and as a result, a summer move was always seen as more likely.

Here's a look at some of his highlights:

These latest revelations are good news for all of the clubs who want to add Kessie, with Chelsea still seen as the favourites to land him. Italy's top clubs will also get involved, and Juventus can't be counted out―they have a fantastic working relationship with Atalanta and agreed to a deal for Caldara in January.

Elsewhere, Goal's Nima Tavallaey reported Inter Milan have agreed to personal terms with Roma's Kostas Manolas, a star centre-back who has long been linked with the Gunners.

MARCO BERTORELLO/Getty Images

Per the report, the Greek international will sign a five-year deal with the Nerazzurri and earn €4.5 million per year.

Inter still have to agree to a transfer fee with Roma, but that isn't expected to be a problem. The club has new Chinese owners with deep pockets, and they're likely to spend big during the summer.

Here's a look at some of Manolas' highlights:

The 25-year-old is a great athlete with solid vision and physical strength, and he's considered among the top defenders in Italy.