22y/o dribbling wizard set to command Liverpool’s ‘attention’ in January; £35m could do it – report
According to reports from Italy, Liverpool are set to revive their interest in a player who was strongly linked with the Reds last summer.
The name of Manu Kone frequently cropped up during the off-season in 2023 in Anfield transfer dispatches, and while the 22-year-old remained at Borussia Monchengladbach, it seems he still has admirers on Merseyside.
TuttoJuve reported that the French midfielder ‘could be the focus of attention’ from LFC and Tottenham this month, with his departure from the Bundesliga outfit potentially materialising if an offer in the region of €40m (just under £35m) is made.
Liverpool have ‘already expressed an interest in the player, who may be reconsidered by Jurgen Klopp in January.
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Capable of playing as a number 6, 8 or 10 (Transfermarkt), Kone excels in taking on opponents, featuring among the top 1% of midfielders in Europe’s five main leagues in 2023 for successful dribbles per game with 2.43, while also being in the top 13% of positional peers for progressive carries per match with 2.53 (FBref).
The 22-year-old is a grafter out of possession, too, with his average of 2.8 tackles per 90 minutes placing him in the 87th percentile for that metric among midfielders over the past 12 months (FBref).
However, one major red flag which could concern Liverpool fans is that he’s had a stop-start season up to now, with two separate injury absences either side of a suspension picked up for a straight red card in October (Transfermarkt).
Also, with the Reds currently much more stacked in midfield than when the original Kone rumours surfaced last summer, Klopp may be looking towards other positions as a greater priority this month.
We’d take these reports with a pinch of salt for now, although it’ll be interesting to see if the links with the Monchengladbach midfielder gather genuine momentum over the coming days and weeks.
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