West Ham and Liverpool are both pushing to sign Manu Kone from Borussia Monchengladbach.
It was BILD in Germany who claimed that West Ham have made the £12,000-a-week man their No.1 target for 2023, while Sky Sports claimed that Liverpool are also keen.
Whoever wins the battle for Kone will receive a player who has been compared to one of the most high-profile footballers of the past decade in Paul Pogba.
West Ham & Liverpool fight for Pogba 2.0
Well, it was Tutto Mercato Web who made the interesting comparison.
The Italian news outlet claimed that the David Moyes and Jürgen Klopp target is similar to the France international as they both possess impressive upper body strength, and are capable of playing in a number of different midfield areas.
Interestingly, Corriere dello Sport claimed that Marcelo Bielsa told Leeds to sign Kone back when he was at Toulouse, where the Whites could have signed the France Under-21 international for just £9m.
Now, the 21-year-old carries a £40m price tag, according to Sky Sports.
So far this season, Kone has made 13 Bundesliga appearances, playing 90 minutes on most occasions as he already becomes a vital part of the Borussia Monchengladbach side, despite his lack of experience.
West Ham & Liverpool target Kone is free to leave
Interestingly, Roland Virkus – Director of Football at Borussia Monchengladbach – has already admitted to BILD that he will sell Kone.
The 55-year-old said: “I’d be lying if I said we would never sell him. There have already been inquiries for Manu.”
Therefore, it seems Moyes or Klopp have a good chance of signing the Colombes-born maestro in 2023, with the Bundesliga side not preparing for a tug of war match – they seem resigned to losing him.
Keep an eye on this situation, as a move could even happen in January.
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