It's quite easy for a youngster to arrive on the stage and be recognised as the next big thing, however it's quite different for Franck Kessie, who is enjoying a fantastic campaign with Italian side Atalanta.

Both player and team have shocked a lot of Serie A fans as they currently sit in fifth place, level on points with Inter Milan, and above Lazio and AC Milan on the standings.

Kessie is the latest individual to be linked with many European clubs in recent months, especially a few of the elite sides from the Premier League. Being mentioned as the next Yaya Toure, the legendary Ivory Coast international, has already made a few appearances for his country.

Manchester United are rumoured to be preparing a bid for Kessie ahead of the summer transfer window, whilst Chelsea and Liverpool have been keeping tabs on the midfielder.

Although not many expected Kessie to make an impressive impact like he has done so for Atalanta, the reports in Italy believe that Juventus will be looking to make a quick agreement for the player before any of the English clubs win the race for his signature.

It's time to look at everything you will want and need to know about the in-demand 20-year-old...

Atalanta background

Since the 1970s, Atalanta have formed a status for producing young, versatile, vibrant players, especially in recent seasons.

Unfortunately due to interest from the clubs above them, the Bergamo side have frequently received offers for their talents that they simply cannot reject.

Although Kessie is the main Atalanta youngster that is currently in the limelight, the likes of Mattia Caldara (on loan from Juventus), Andrea Conti and Andrea Petagna are also enjoying successful seasons on a personal level.

Kessie is the new...

Kessie has been dubbed as the 'next Yaya Toure' on a weekly basis and it's quite amazing to see the similar attributes he shares with his fellow countryman.

Just like the Manchester City star, Kessie's unstoppable power and upper-body strength for a player who was a teenager only in December is really rare to see.

Without a doubt, it's normal for a physical and strong player to be compared to someone like Yaya, however relating to the style of play and characteristics, the resemblance is simply interesting.

Strengths

All-round central midfielder. Only a few individuals in the Italian league can play in various roles like Kessie does, from being a solid block as a defensive player to offering help in attack with late runs into the final third of the pitch.

Possessing the ideal intelligence and athleticism, Kessie's abilities have helped him guarantee a selection in the Atalanta XI week in and out, only missing five league games so far this season.

Understanding when to change gears in attack as well as having the right positional awareness of the defensive side of the game, he has effortlessly adapted to each formation used by manager Gian Piero Gasperini.

Weaknesses

Having an ego can make or break a player in Kessie's position.

It's hard as the youngster will need to make tough choices from time to time. When Atalanta faced Torino back in September, the midfielder decided to steal the ball off his team-mate and chose to take the penalty himself.

Despite scoring the goal that gave his side all three points, Gasperini rightly criticised him following the win. Not only that, a couple of weeks later, Kessie made a reckless challenge in a fixture against Crotone which led the referee with no choice but to send him off.

Other than sorting this aspect of his game, there is nothing that could stop Kessie from going on to becoming a world-class player.

How would he fit in at Man Utd or Chelsea?

Kessie could be seen as a replacement for the ageing Michael Carrick, whose contract will be expiring in the summer.

Although the 35-year-old is seen as an irreplaceable individual, Kessie would learn a lot from the likes of Ander Herrera and Paul Pogba if a deal was put into place.

Gasperini has been full of praises for the Ouragahio-born youngster and believes he can go on to play for one of Europe's biggest clubs sooner or later.

Only Alejandro Gomez has notched more league goals (9) for Atalanta than Kessie's six this campaign and on top of that, the former has played five more games than the latter. Impressive stats for a box-to-box midfielder.

With the competition in United's midfield being really tight at present, a loan move back to Atalanta to improve his development as a player would seem ideal. Should the move become official, Kessie would be regarded as a signing for the future.

Chelsea's interest is intriguing considering they currently house N'Golo Kante and Nemanja Matic, but Kessie's change from a deep-lying holding mid to a more advanced player could benefit Antonio Conte's Blues.

Did you know?

During an interview with Italian newspaper, Gazzetta Dello Sport, talking about how close he was to joining Juventus back in 2013, Kessie also revealed his dream of playing for United.

"I'd like to play for Manchester United. I don't know if [Jose] Mourinho will be there, but they have always been my favourite team."

Final word

Expect there to be plenty of frenzied interest in Kessie in the next transfer window. Expect the player to move. Whether that destination is Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge or Turin remains to be seen.