Sekou Kone missed the first half of the season due to a head injury and left Man Utd on loan in the winter window.
Kone arrived at United in 2024.(Image: Manchester United)
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First loans are notoriously difficult for young players. They leave the comfort of their parent club for the first time and can often struggle in the most competitive professional environment they have encountered.
A Manchester United loanee told the Manchester Evening News that the academy can be like a "bubble". That bubble can burst when they leave on loan for the first time, something Sekou Kone is getting to grips with.
In the winter window, Kone was sent to FC Lausanne-Sport on loan for the remainder of the season, with United saying of the deal: "Kone will benefit from potential involvement in the UEFA Conference League."
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A few days after Kone's temporary move was confirmed, he was omitted from Lausanne's squad for the Conference League, although he still travelled with the team when they played in the Czech Republic. "We want him to integrate into the group," insisted Lausanne manager Peter Zeidler.
Lausanne exited at the play-off stage of the competition, so Kone didn't miss much, but it wasn't a vote of confidence for the youngster, whose loan in Switzerland hasn't gone as United hoped so far.
Kone looked sharp during the post-season tour in May and travelled to the United States for the pre-season tour, but he has made just four substitute appearances for Lausanne and was hooked at half-time in his only start.
On paper, the loan ticked a lot of boxes. United have developed a relationship with Lausanne since Ineos took control of football operations, with academy staff visiting their training complex, and Kone was given the chance to train with the Swiss team before joining on loan.
The midfielder spent time with Lausanne to see if the deal would suit both parties. That training period was successful, but it hasn't translated to minutes on the pitch for Kone.
Kone at Athletic Bilbao for the Europa League semi-final last season.(Image: 2025 Manchester United FC)
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It's been a challenging season for Kone, who suffered a fractured eye socket when he made his first appearance of the campaign for the Under-21s against Tamworth in August.
Kone received treatment in an ambulance and the fixture was subsequently abandoned. A replacement ambulance was required and the delay forced the fixture to be called off. The youngster spent the night in hospital and was discharged in the morning.
The Mali youth international returned to action in November and completed his first 90 minutes of the season against Borussia Dortmund at Old Trafford before Christmas, which teed him up for a loan departure.
Kone essentially missed the first half of the season due to the injury, and he's got a different kind of fight on his hands in the second half of the campaign as he attempts to force his way into Lausanne's starting XI.
United staff insist there is no such thing as a bad loan because a young player will always learn something from the experience, regardless of whether they play as much as they would like. Kone will probably be glad to see the back of this season, though.
Kone picked up a head injury in August.(Image: Steven Railston)
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What the future holds for Kone remains to be seen. United paid just £1million to sign him from Guidars FC two years ago, making the transfer low risk and potentially high reward.
The best-case scenario is that Kone develops into a player worthy of the Casemiro role in the first team. The worst-case scenario is that he doesn't quite make the grade and is sold, hopefully for a profit.
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The head of the United academy, Stephen Torpey, was recently asked about developing defensive midfielders at United. "They're all different. They might wear the number six on the back, but the way they play it might be different for each player," he told the MEN.
"There are elements that we've got to be careful with. Jim Thwaites' style is different from Sekou's, which is okay. It's about recognising what we do and how we ask people to play the position within that set-up.
"And then what we do daily on the training field, what is the content of training, what is the individual work that they're doing, what is the assessment and the clips that we're going through.
"Sometimes these boys have some weaknesses that are maybe unacceptable to get them to the first team. We've got to make sure they're a number one priority for us to eradicate and mitigate the risk of that.
"But let's not forget about what they're really good at because that's what's going to make them stand out. That's what makes all of you guys know about them.
"The deficiencies are out there as well and every single player has them. We've got to recognise whether some of those deficiencies are acceptable or unacceptable and they'll be preventative."
Kone in the Carrington gym.
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When Kone arrived in Manchester, his biggest weakness was his conditioning. He was placed on a gym programme to build muscle, and United organised English lessons to accelerate his language learning.
Travis Binnion (former U21 manager, now part of the first-team coaching staff) and Tommy Rowe (former U21 player-coach, now Under-15 lead coach) also took French lessons to communicate with Kone.
The next step was to coach Kone to better understand his position, teaching him when to be disciplined as a defensive midfielder and when it was acceptable to move up the pitch. In some early games, he got carried away and found himself around the opponent's box.
There is plenty more for Kone to work on to reach the first team.