Last season, news reports had often linked Juventus with a swoop for Franck Kessié. The midfielder was running on an expiring deal at Milan, but he eventually landed in Barcelona.

But following an underwhelming first campaign in Catalunya, would the 26-year-old opt for a swift return to Serie A?

According to Calciomercato, Spanish sources have been discussing a potential Kessié switch to Juventus, which would allow the Blaugrana to open up some space on the wage bill.

The report suggests an exchange deal between the two Super League rebels, with the Bianconeri potentially offering the services of Denis Zakaria.

The Swiss midfielder is currently on loan at Chelsea, but the Premier League giants are unlikely to maintain his services beyond the current campaign, so he’ll most probably return to Turin in the summer.

However, the source believes that Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez would like a more lucrative counterpart in return.

For his part, Kessié has made 24 La Liga appearances this term, mostly coming off the bench. While he only scored a single league goal this term, he surely made it count, pulling off a late winner in the Clasico against Real Madrid.

Juve FC say

The last time Juventus and Barcelona traded the services of a midfielder the outcome was catastrophic for all parties. Of course, we’re talking about  the doomed exchange deal of Miralem Pjanic and Arthur Melo.

At the moment, this reported swap remains mere paper talk, but it’s certainly an interesting prospect to keep an eye on in the coming months.