Report: Atalanta rejects Everton’s £15M bid for Kessie amid Chelsea interest
Everton's audacious attempt to hijack Chelsea's move for Atalanta midfielder Franck Kessie has failed.
The Merseyside outfit launched a bid to sign the Atalanta midfielder, only to have the Serie A side reject an offer worth £15 million - over £5 million less than Chelsea's failed attempt, according to Fabrizio Romano of the Guardian.
The report suggests Atalanta is keen to retain the 20-year-old until the end of the season before considering whether to offload him.
News of Everton's failed bid comes a day after the club reportedly agreed to a £22-million deal to sign Manchester United's wantaway midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin.
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It's the club's latest attempt to add reinforcements following manager Ronald Koeman's public outcry over the team's lack of activity on the transfer market thus far.
Chelsea's attempt to lure the Ivory Coast international away from Bergamo also failed when Atalanta reportedly rejected a bid worth €25 million (£21.25 million).
The Blues continue to be interested, but appear likely to face competition from Everton if Koeman insists on placing further bids to obtain Kessie, who's currently on international duty ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations.
However, Everton could eventually fall out of the race if Atalanta continues to demand a fee in the region of £30-£34 million.