Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Manu Kone, a Liverpool transfer target, ended up having to rely on crutches after suffering a knee injury during France’s most recent encounter at the under-21 European Championships. Les Blues qualified for the knockout round of the competition with a convincing 4-1 win against Switzerland last evening. They will now meet Ukraine in the quarter-finals on Sunday. Kone might be among several names on Jurgen Klopp’s wishlist this summer. The Reds manager looking to strengthen his roster ahead of the upcoming Premier League season.
Liverpool might lose interest for signing French midfielder Manu Kone this summer
Following the acquisition of Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton, the Merseyside giants might bring in at least one more midfielder. Manu Kone appeared as a target after impressing in the Bundesliga last season. However his new injury setback could hamper Liverpool’s chances of signing him.
On Wednesday, Kone earned his second start of the under-21 Euros for France against Switzerland. BUt unfortunately he suffered an early hit to his right knee forced him out after only 19 minutes. He wanted to keep playing through. However he was eventually replaced by Enzo le Fee as France advanced to the quarter-finals with a 4-1 victory.
The 22-year-old left the stadium on crutches and underwent additional tests on Thursday. The results of the test hinted that he will be ruled out for rest of the tournament due to a sprained knee with kneecap trauma. It’s unclear how long Kone has to sit out. Moreover France U21 management didn’t announce his estimated comeback date.
If Kone’s condition proves to be worse, Liverpool may opt to drop their interest in him. It could lead to delaying his integration into their squad and halting his own pre-season preparations, though the Reds will have plenty of other targets to look into before the summer window closes in September.
In addition to newly recuit Dominik Szoboszlai, the six-time European champions are close to signing Khephren Thuram. As a result, they may be content with these signings, as acquiring one or two more playmakers was Klopp’s primary goal. Liverpool failed to dominate games from midfield last season. Hence they will be trying to improve their midfield by taking advantage of the transfer market this summer.
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