Inter Milan were shocked by Barca's demand when they asked for Kessie

Inter Milan went all out for Kessié in the January transfer window, but in the end there was no agreement between the clubs, and the midfielder stayed once he had spoken to Xavi about his role in the team. Corriere dello Sport report that the Italian league leaders were shocked when Barça agreed to let him leave the club provided that he met a certain condition that was not accepted.

According to the report, Inter contacted Kessié's entourage before the World Cup started. They sounded him out about the possibility of a departure as he was getting no minutes in the Blaugrana shirt and asked him to make an arrangement with Barça to arrange a loan with an option to buy. In principle, the Blaugrana club had to assume some of the midfielder's wage.

The Blaugrana responded negatively because, although they needed to reduce the wage bill, they did not want to weaken the squad. But weeks later, Barça opened the door with a clear demand: they would release Kessié if there was a direct swap deal with Brozovic.

Inter were shocked by the proposal as they considered the exchange, by valuation, to be unfair. They said 'no' and the negotiations were over, and Barca's move did not please Kessié's entourage either. The waters have now calmed and the midfielder seems to be enjoying more minutes with Xavi, who praised him in the last press conference.