Cote d'Ivoire midfielder Franck Kessie has departed FC Barcelona to join the Saudi Arabian club, Al-Ahli, for a transfer fee of 12.5 million euros.

Eduardo Camavinga (L) of Real Madrid vies with Franck Kessie of Barcelona during the Spain's Copa del Rey (King's Cup) semifinal first leg football match between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona in Madrid, Spain, March 2, 2023. (Photo by Gustavo Valiente/Xinhua)

The 26-year-old exits Barcelona just one season after his free transfer from AC Milan. During his stint with the club, Kessie netted three goals in 43 appearances, although he only started in 16 of those matches.

"FC Barcelona and Al-Ahli SC have agreed on a 12.5-million-euro transfer for the player Franck Kessie," the official statement read. Further, FC Barcelona's website expressed gratitude, noting: "FC Barcelona want to take this opportunity to publicly thank Franck for his commitment and dedication and to wish him all the best and every success in the future."

Kessie bid adieu to his Barca teammates on Tuesday, subsequently underwent a medical in Paris, and then jetted off to Jeddah to integrate with his new team. He has inked a three-season deal with Al-Ahli.

This latest move dwindles Barca's first-team roster to merely 12 players. This number might soon dip to 11 if Ousmane Dembele's speculated transfer to Paris Saint-Germain materializes. Barcelona faces fiscal challenges in integrating new signees Inigo Martinez and Ilkay Gundogan into the squad, along with players like Alexander Balde who secured fresh contracts this summer. If Barca can't navigate La Liga's intricate financial fair-play regulations, the remaining roster for Sunday's season opener against Getafe may predominantly feature players from the B-team. 

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