Chelsea make contact to sign Manu Kone

Chelsea have made contact to bring Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Manu Kone to the Premier League this summer, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Scouting mission

Todd Boehly has already started building his side for the future, having recruited the likes of Enzo Fernandez and Mykhaylo Mudryk, and it would appear that the 21-year-old is another young rising star on the owner’s radar.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Simon Phillips recently confirmed that the Blues are long-term admirers of their target and have been monitoring him for a while. He said:

“Chelsea really like Kone, I was told about him in January.

“He was one that Chelsea were looking at before they signed Enzo Fernandez and got that over the line, and they’re still scouting him, I’ve checked in on that.”

The Frenchman isn’t out of contract at the Borussia Park until 2025, but being Daniel Farke’s top-performing defensive player, has caught the attention of Graham Potter.

The Latest: Chelsea make Kone contact

According to SportBild (via Sport Witness), Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain have both ‘made enquiries’ regarding a possible deal for Kone this summer.

The Borussia star’s ‘dream’ is to move to the English top flight, but with his family originating from Paris, it looks set to be a tug-of-war.

Sporting director Roland Virkus and the midfielder’s representatives have ‘already talked’ about a move away, making an exit during the upcoming window ‘increasingly likely’.

The Bundesliga outfit will look to demand a fee that is ‘considerably higher’ than his current €25m (£22m) market value.

The Verdict: Splash the cash

Kone is an extremely versatile player with the ability to operate in defensive, central and attacking midfield, so Chelsea should dig deep in their pockets to secure his services in the summer.

The 6 foot 1 ace currently averages 2.7 tackles per league game, showing that he’s not afraid to get stuck in and is great at regaining possession for his team in the centre, but he is also strong in the offensive aspect of his play. The Colombes native has scored ten goals and provided three assists in 112 senior appearances and he ranks in the 99th percentile for most successful take-ons every 90 minutes.

Kone has been dubbed a ‘one-man army’ by talent scout Jacek Kulig and having previously admitted that he was a huge fan of Didier Drogba growing up, which has given him a fascination with the London club, this could be one to watch in the months ahead.