Report: One of Liverpool’s Jude Bellingham alternatives now considered ‘irreplaceable’

Follow us on Google Discover

Liverpool want Manu Kone but Borussia Monchengladbach now consider the midfielder to be absolutely ‘irreplaceable’.

The Reds are weighing up midfield targets for 2023 with Jurgen Klopp desperately needing some new energy in midfield.

It’s fairly common knowledge at this point that Liverpool would love to sign Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham.

However, Liverpool need to have alternatives in mind for a couple of reasons.

The first is that there is major competition for Bellingham and Liverpool can’t put all of their eggs in his basket.

The second is that Bellingham isn’t the only midfielder Liverpool need; they ultimately need more than one midfield addition in 2023 to revamp Klopp’s options.

Sky Sports reported in August that Liverpool were eyeing up Gladbach midfielder Manu Kone to bolster their options.

The former Toulouse talent has been outstanding for Gladbach and he appears to be on Liverpool’s radar alongside Bellingham and others.

Gladbach reluctant to sell Liverpool target Kone

Sport1 now claim that Gladbach consider Kone to be absolutely ‘irreplaceable’ and they would want a club-record fee to sell him.

Gladbach’s record sale is Granit Xhaka to Arsenal in 2016, with the Gunners paying around €45million (£39million) to sign the midfielder.

Liverpool will seemingly have to go higher than that to tempt Gladbach into selling, with the 21-year-old under contract until 2025.

Kone is a truly outstanding box-to-box midfield prospect.

Just as likely to brush opponents off the ball as he is to be breaking into the box or ghosting past midfielders, Kone is justifying the huge asking price.

Kone ranks 11th for successful dribbles in the Bundesliga, tied on 22 with Jamal Musiala and just eight behind Bellingham himself.

Kone has also completed 29 tackles and 11 interceptions, showing that ability to perform both sides of the game admirably.

Liverpool would be wise to keep tabs on Kone moving forward, as paying half the price of Bellingham for Gladbach’s prized asset may become more and more appealing.