West Ham United ‘positioning themselves’ to sign Manu Kone after summer revelation
West Ham have Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Manu Kone “at the top of their shopping list” next summer, according to Bild.
The January transfer window may be just around the corner, but West Ham are reportedly already preparing a move for 21-year-old midfielder Kone next summer.
German outlet Bild claim that the Frenchman “is to be sold next summer” despite his contract at Monchengladbach running until 2025.
As a result, the report claims interested teams are “already positioning themselves” for a move in 2023, with West Ham emerging as a frontrunner after scouts were sent to watch him in Germany.
The report also suggests that Kone is “at the top of their shopping list”.
Alarm bells for Soucek
West Ham’s reported interest in Kone will be ringing alarm bells for Tomas Soucek. The Czech international has been in poor form this season and David Moyes clearly wants to invest in his midfield department over the next year.
Declan Rice’s future at the London Stadium is already insecure and he’s bound to leave the Hammers if they can’t provide him with a more stable midfield partnership.
That’s where Kone could come in. Despite being just 21 years old, he’s played over 40 matches for Monchengladbach over the last two seasons, including 13 of the 14 Bundesliga matches this season.
While he doesn’t offer much threat going forward, his physicality makes him a threatening presence in the middle of the park and his defensive qualities are very impressive.
Moyes potentially views him as a long-term successor to Rice should the England star depart West Ham in the near future. With the German club keen to sell next summer, expect West Ham to be pouncing on the opportunity as soon as possible.