Liverpool are one of the clubs in with a chance of signing Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Manu Kone.
Kone has caught the eye in the Bundesliga since a 2021 move from Toulouse. And according to journalist Christian Falk, Gladbach are now resigned to losing him this summer.
“Manu Kone has a contract until 2025 with an option until 2026. That being said, Gladbach sees no chance of the player staying at the moment,” he told CaughtOffside. “They would say €50m [£44m] would be brilliant for the player, €30m [£26m] would be the beginning of the transfer poker.”
It has been reported elsewhere that Liverpool aren’t currently one of the front-runners to sign Kone. But according to Falk, the Reds are very much ‘in the race.’ However, any move could depend on the outcome of their bid to sign Jude Bellingham.
“There’s also Liverpool in the race, though that depends how things develop with the Bellingham poker,” he said. “Kone is one of the jewels of the Bundesliga, one of the most interesting transfer options this summer, and he’s very close to going to the Premier League. Gladbach are losing a lot of players and he will be one of them.”
Liverpool consult their midfield long-list
Kone appears to be one of Liverpool’s great many options in the midfield market this summer. The Reds have been said to have drawn up a longer shortlist than usual, and it’s not hard to understand why.
Obviously, Bellingham looks to be the number one target. But should Liverpool fail to land the Borussia Dortmund man, they’ll have to have a back-up plan.
Bellingham also isn’t the only midfielder they need this summer. Jurgen Klopp will have to bring in at least two players to fill the position, perhaps even three.
On top of that, there’s a real danger of Liverpool missing out on Champions League football next season. Not only will that impact the money they’re able to spend, but also whether certain players will want to join them. As a result of all that, it would make sense if Liverpool had, in essence, three separate lists for the off-season.
Best case scenario is a list including signing Bellingham and with Champions League football secured. Secondly will be no Bellingham, but planning for a Champions League campaign. And finally, the worst case ’emergency’ list will be if Jude signs elsewhere and the Reds miss out on a top-four finish.
Quite which list Kone is on is up for debate. But judging by Falk throwing Bellingham’s name in there, it would seem that he’s a potential alternative to Liverpool’s top target. As far as replacements go, he’d be a good one. The Frenchman is definitely on the move, so let’s see where he ends up.
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