One-time Leeds United target Kouadio Kone chose to join Borussia Monchengladbach instead because of the prospect of major self-improvement in the Bundesliga, agent Jonathan Maarek has told Tuttomercatoweb.
Then again, who better than Marcelo Bielsa to turn a promising young midfielder into an elite-level performer?
Kalvin Phillips, Luke Ayling, Liam Cooper and more have been transformed from average Championship footballers into Premier League stars under the former Argentina boss.
But Kone, the talented Toulouse enforcer, obviously felt he would be better off at the Bay Arena than at Elland Road, despite Bielsa’s stunning track record.
Gladbach invested £8 million to sign the Ivory Coast international in January in the hope Kone could emulate the impact of Granit Xhaka, Thorgan Hazard, Jannik Vestergaard and Marco Reus under new head coach Adi Hutter next season.
“It was difficult to choose but, for a young player, Germany is still considered a step where they can play more,” Maarek said when asked why Kone chose mid-table Gladbach over a number of alternative options.
In January, Corriere dello Sport claimed Bielsa had instructed Leeds to look into a deal for Kone, the sort of energetic, all-round midfielder who would fit neatly into his unique tactical set-up.
Leeds made contact with the 19-year-old only to discover Kone had his heart set on a move elsewhere.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
