Bayern Munich are reportedly ready to fork out €40–45 million in order to acquire the services of Liverpool target and Borussia Monchengladbach’s midfield star Manu Kone.
According to Fichajes, Bayern Munich and Liverpool are engaged in a tug-of-war over the promising Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Manu Kone.
Kone has been one of the most sought-after young midfielders in Europe during recent transfer windows, thanks to his stellar showings with Borussia Monchengladbach.
Premier League sides Chelsea, Liverpool, and Newcastle United have all previously been credited with an interest in the France Under-21 international, with all three regularly scouting him during the final few months of the 2022–23 campaign.
Ultimately, a summer move didn’t materialise for the midfielder. A knee injury suffered in France Under-21s duty did not help his cause, of course, and the 22-year-old stayed with Gladbach.
Now, fully fit and featuring in two of the last three Bundesliga games, Kone has seen his contract extended by another year to 2026 after the German outfit triggered an extension clause that was pre-agreed upon his arrival from Toulouse in 2021.
However, the player will still be allowed to leave Gladbach during the January window if their asking price is met. While Calciomercato earlier stated that the Bundesliga club were willing to reduce their asking price for Kone to €25 million—a bargain for a player of his age and calibre—the contract extension has meant that that is no longer the case.
The German outfit are now demanding between €40 and €50 million for the Frenchman. Moreover, Kone expects to leave his current club by next summer at the latest, if not in January. Rumours around Kone’s future have continued since the transfer window closed, and although he is not currently a priority midfield target, Liverpool remain interested in his services.
The Reds may face further midfield challenges in the future, as Thiago Alcantara’s contract is set to expire next summer, and the Spaniard’s recurring injuries could prevent Liverpool from offering an extension while their search for a proper defensive midfielder is still ongoing.
As per Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, Liverpool are currently “not a topic” for Kone, and the Reds are not in talks with the 22-year-old, which may hand Bayern a free run at signing the talented midfielder either in January or next summer.
Recent reports have suggested that the Bavarians have earmarked the player as a potential alternative to Fulham destroyer Joao Palhinha. Despite a winter move failing to materialise in the final hours of deadline day and the Portuguese enforcer putting pen to paper on a new contract at Craven Cottage, Palhinha remains Bayern’s top midfield target heading into the winter window.
However, with Die Roten now said to be willing to splash out the aforementioned price tag to land the 22-year-old Frenchman’s services thanks to a direct recommendation from head coach Thomas Tuchel, it seems Kone is much more than just a fallback option for Bayern.