Chelsea, Man Utd lose out on Serie A enforcer

Premier League duo Chelsea and Manchester United have faced defeat in the pursuit of long-time target and Atalanta midfielder Franck Kessie.

The Ivory Coast international has attracted interest from top English clubs since last summer, but it is understood that he has decided to prolong his stay in the Serie A.

According to Sky Italia, the Rossoneri have won the race to sign the highly-rated midfielder after having tabled a £24m bid for his signature.

League rivals AS Roma had also tabled a similar sum for the Atalanta ace, but there were not able to match Milan's wage package of around £2.1m-a-year.

A host of Premier League clubs including Chelsea and Manchester United had been credited with an interest in the anchorman, but it appears that the midfielder has set his sights on a Milan move following their takeover from a Chinese consortium.

Kessie has provided six goals and three assists for Atalanta, who are currently fifth in the league standings, six points ahead of Milan.