Essien Could Be Headed To Russia

Former Chelsea star Michael Essien could be on his way to Russia after it has emerged that AC Milan are open to the possibility of using the Ghanaian international as a makeweight in the deal to bring in Domenico Criscito from Zenit St Petersburg. Essien was once regarded as one of the best midfielders, but a succession of knee injuries have made the 31-year-old as a fringe player. This led to his move to Milan on a permanent basis last January. Italian football was expected to suit Essien given that it was slow compared to the rest of the leagues.

However, this has not worked out as the player might have expected after he made just seven appearances for Milan last season. His form was also extremely poor in these matches. This has led to rumours that new manager Filippo Inzaghi may consider offering Essien, who is now valued at € 4 million, along with cash for Zenit defender Criscito. At 27 years of age, Criscito is at the peak of his career and is currently valued at just over € 10 million by his club. Allowing Essien as part of the deal will help Milan reduce the transfer fee substantially.

Despite being a defender, Criscito contributed with one goal and three assists last season. Essien is also one of the transfer targets for clubs like Olympiakos and Trabzonspor. It is looking very likely that the Ghanaian international may leave the top leagues once and for all. In his stellar career, he has won numerous trophies like the Premier League and the Champions League. He was involved in the World Cup 2014 with Ghana, but his tournament was cut short because of yet another injury suffered in the opening match against the United States. Ghana were knocked out at the group stages.