Chelsea to face competition from Newcastle United in signing Kouadio Kone. (OneFootball/Getty Images)
Journalist Graeme Bailey (h/t Caught Offside) has revealed that Newcastle United have entered the race to sign Chelsea target and Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Kouadio (Manu) Kone.
Transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano recently reported that the Blues are among the clubs interested in signing the French midfielder in the summer.
He also revealed that Kone could leave the German side for a price tag of around €50m plus add-ons. His current contract with Gladbach runs until the summer of 2025 (Transfermarkt).
Along with Chelsea and now Newcastle United, Paris-Saint Germain and Manchester United are in the race to sign the 21-year-old, while Liverpool have previously shown interest.
Kone was a youth player at Toulouse before making a move to Monchengladbach in January 2021. He has been their key midfielder since the start of last season, making 51 appearances out of 59 league games.
The France U21 international is a central midfielder who can operate as a defensive midfielder too. At Gladbach, he is being played in a double-pivot midfield.
The 21-year-old is an excellent user of the ball through his passing, dribbling and carrying it in the opposition’s half. He is physically strong and reads the game well defensively too.
There is a reason why Kone is touted to become one of the midfielders over the next few years. The talent and composure he has shown so far are commendable, to say the least.
Although Chelsea spent the big money to sign Enzo Fernandez in January, the midfield department needs an addition or two to make an elite group.
The departure of Jorginho and the lack of clarity towards the future of Mateo Kovacic and N’Golo Kante leaves a hole or two in that area of the field.
Kone, at that price, could be a great business by the Blues. Moreover, he is a young player with great potential, the two criteria the new club owners are after when signing a new player.
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