The chase for the signature of Franck Kessie certainly is heating up. The Atalanta midfielder’s stock has been on the rise for the past month or so and the Ivory Coast international has been a target for both Liverpool and Chelsea from the Premier League.

Although the Blues are leading the race for the signature of the talented 20-year-old, the reports from Metro Sport has suggested that Liverpool have sent out scouts to watch the player in action during the African Cup of Nations.

Liverpool too have Sadio Mane playing in the tournament with Senegal and this could be seen as an ideal time to check out the talented midfielder from Serie A. Kessie has also been linked with a move to Juventus in the winter window but his parent club are not willing to let go of the star in the making.

Kessie has had a decent season so far with seven goals for Atalanta from just 17 games and there are many who believe he is the next big thing to come out from the Ivory Coast. Chelsea had reportedly bid £22 million for Kessie but Atalanta flatly refused the offer.

The Serie A side must believe that they can get a better deal than what is currently being offered and with Kessie playing in the AFCON, his stock will rise should the Ivory Coast do well in the tournament.

Kessie hasn’t stated much about his future and that can be seen as an indication that he is set to remain at Atalanta until the end of the season. The Serie A club wants to sell their star in the making at the end of the season for the maximum amount they can.

Clubs would have to spend close to £35 million to get the player on board but the Reds could get better players for that amount unless Klopp fancies him at Anfield. The Merseyside club have been linked with a number of midfielders in the summer and winter windows.

With Lucas Leiva’s future undecided, Kessie could be just one of the players looking to give the Reds the quality they need on their bench. Liverpool, however, needs someone to play out wide and with Sadio Mane out at the AFCON, an attacker should be the first priority for the manager of the club.

With half of the window almost over, it will be a surprise if Liverpool sign anyone and maybe Klopp is waiting for the summer till he makes his moves.