Few transfer sagas captured the imagination of Liverpool supporters quite like the great midfield rebuild of 2023.
With the likes of Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Naby Keita, James Milner, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all departing Anfield in the same summer, Jurgen Klopp faced the monumental task of completely reconstructing his engine room from scratch. The names linked were endless – Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice, Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia – a wishlist that read like a who’s who of European midfield talent.
In the end, Liverpool did it their way. Alexis Mac Allister arrived from Brighton for £35 million, followed swiftly by Dominik Szoboszlai for £60 million after the club triggered his release clause at RB Leipzig.
Ryan Gravenberch joined as a deadline-day addition from Bayern Munich for £34 million, while Wataru Endo rounded out the overhaul in the holding role. It was a rapid and ultimately successful transformation.
But one name that kept appearing throughout that frantic summer never quite made it through the door: Manu Kone. The French midfielder, then plying his trade at Borussia Monchengladbach, was heavily linked with a move to Anfield at the time.
Ultimately, it wasn’t to be – and Kone moved on, eventually joining AS Roma, where he has since established himself as one of Serie A’s most dynamic central midfielders, starting 31 out of 34 matches this season.
Now, three years on, the man who once appeared destined for the red of Liverpool could be on his way to the black and blue of Inter Milan.
According to reports from Sky Sport Switzerland, the Nerazzurri have identified Kone, 24, as their number one midfield target for the upcoming summer window, with a fee of around €40 million required to secure his services. Inter are plotting a sweeping rebuild of their midfield, with experienced players potentially moved on to make way for a new generation – and Kone fits the bill perfectly.
The deal won’t be straightforward. Roma are reluctant to sell and could demand a higher price. Still, Inter have reportedly already secured the player’s own blessing on a potential move, and sporting director Piero Ausilio is said to be pushing hard to get the deal done.
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