West Ham United are plotting a move to sign Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Manu Kone next summer, according to reports in the last 48 hours.

The Lowdown: Exit on the horizon?

The Frenchman still has three years remaining on his contract, though Daniel Farke’s side are already planning for the future and it doesn’t appear to have the maestro in it.

The Bundesliga outfit are believed to be putting three of their first team stars up for sale at the end of the season, with the 21-year-old being one of them, and the Irons have been name-checked with an interest in bringing him to the Premier League.

The Latest: West Ham scout Kone

According to German outlet SportBILD (via Sport Witness), West Ham are ‘lining up’ to land Kone in 2023 and have already had him ‘watched several times’ by scouts.

GSBK reportedly have their target ‘at the top’ of their wishlist and are ‘ready’ to make an approach for him when he’s officially put on the market.

Exactly what his price tag will be yet remains to be seen, but he’s valued at €25m (£21m), so any deal will likely cost somewhere in that region.

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The Verdict: Partner for Rice

After Tomas Soucek’s contract negotiations stalled over the summer, his future at the London Stadium could be in doubt, so Kone would make the perfect midfield partner for Declan Rice should the Czech depart.

Dubbed a ‘one-man army’ by Jacek Kulig, he’s currently averaging 1.8 tackles and 1.6 dribbles per league game, with a pass success rate of 87.2% (WhoScored).

Kone being valued at £21m is a very reasonable price for the Irons to pay, and having made their strong interest known, a switch could well be on the cards next summer.