Aston Villa's shock £43m transfer target could solve Steven Gerrard's big issue

Aston Villa have been linked with a summer move for the soon-to-be free agent Franck Kessie, who could be exactly what Steven Gerrard needs to bolster his midfield.

The Ivory Coast international is largely regarded as one of the best midfielders in Serie A and clubs across Europe, including Villa and Barcelona are said to have been put on red alert, due to the fact his contract is set to expire this summer.

Kessie predominantly operates in the double pivot of a 4-2-3-1 formation and has contributed heavily to AC Milan's success in recent seasons and the current one, as they currently sit second in Serie A with Kessie making 20 appearances so far.

The graphic below outlines an overview of the player's strengths, and as clearly shown he is talented in possession and also committed to his role defensively.

Kessie is renowned for being strong in possession, a willing runner and extremely capable in possession.

His immense physicality makes him almost impossible to shrug off the ball, as he covers the defence, shields the ball and carries it away to safety.

Over the past 365 days he is averaging just under 17 pressures, two blocks, two interceptions and one clearance.

It is also worth noting these figures aren't adjusted to possession and Milan currently average 55.3% possession each game.

If his side are dominating the ball, it is impossible for him to defend, therefore outlining how impressive these figures are given his side have the ball the majority of the time.

His ability to read the game and make a tackle is a strong point of his. The midfielder has a tackling success rate of 63.4% against dribblers which is tied for the second most successful in the league, outlining his dominance in this area.

He's a strong