Franck Kessie rejoins Atalanta after Juventus also tried to sign him

Ivory Coast captain Franck Kessie has rejoined Atalanta, his first European club, on Saturday. The Serie A club announced that Kessie signed a multi-year contract, though the specific details were not disclosed. Juventus had also shown interest in signing the midfielder, but coach Luciano Spalletti cited financial fair play regulations as a barrier.

Kessie, 29, first joined Atalanta in 2015 as part of their youth program. He previously played for Cesena on loan and moved to AC Milan, Barcelona, and Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia. Atalanta began their Serie A season with a win against Sassuolo last weekend and will host Bologna on Monday. Kessie played a key role in Ivory Coast's World Cup qualification campaign, scoring a goal in their group stage loss to Germany.