Sekou Kone joined FC Lausanne-Sport on loan in January after recovering from injury, but the Manchester United midfielder has struggled for playing time in Switzerland
16:28, 04 Apr 2026Updated 16:28, 04 Apr 2026
Casemiro is leaving Man Utd in the summer
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Casemiro is leaving Man Utd in the summer(Image: PA)
Initial loan spells are notoriously challenging for young players. They depart the familiar surroundings of their parent club for the first time and can frequently struggle in the most demanding professional environment they've faced.
A Manchester United loanee revealed to the Manchester Evening News that the academy can resemble a "bubble". That protective environment can shatter when they venture out on loan initially, something Sekou Kone is currently navigating.
During the winter transfer window, Kone was dispatched to FC Lausanne-Sport on a temporary deal for the rest of the campaign, with United declaring: "Kone will benefit from potential involvement in the UEFA Conference League."
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Sekou Kone is highly rated at Man Utd(Image: Manchester United)
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Several days after Kone's temporary switch was announced, he was excluded from Lausanne's matchday squad for the Conference League, though he still accompanied the team during their trip to the Czech Republic.
"We want him to integrate into the group," maintained Lausanne boss Peter Zeidler, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Lausanne crashed out at the play-off round of the tournament, so Kone didn't miss much, but it hardly represented a ringing endorsement for the youngster, whose Swiss loan hasn't progressed as United envisaged thus far.
Kone appeared impressive during the post-season tour in May and made the trip to the United States for the pre-season campaign, but he has managed only four substitute outings for Lausanne and was substituted at the interval in his sole start.
In theory, the loan arrangement made perfect sense. United have forged a partnership with Lausanne since Ineos assumed control of football operations, with academy personnel visiting their training facilities, and Kone was afforded the opportunity to train with the Swiss outfit before joining on loan.
The midfielder spent time with Lausanne to assess whether the arrangement would benefit both clubs. That trial period proved fruitful, but it hasn't resulted in regular playing time for Kone.
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Sekou Kone is navigating his first loan(Image: 2025 Manchester United FC)
It's been a difficult campaign for Kone, who sustained a fractured eye socket during his first outing of the season for the Under-21s against Tamworth in August.
Kone required treatment in an ambulance and the match was later abandoned. A second ambulance was needed and the resulting delay meant the fixture had to be cancelled. The youngster remained in hospital overnight before being released the following morning.
The Mali youth international returned to the fray in November and played his first complete 90 minutes of the season against Borussia Dortmund at Old Trafford before Christmas, which set up his loan move.
Kone essentially missed the opening half of the campaign due to injury, and now faces a different challenge in the second half of the season as he battles to secure a place in Lausanne's starting eleven.
United officials maintain there's no such thing as an unsuccessful loan spell because young players will invariably gain something from the experience, irrespective of their playing time. Kone will likely be relieved when this season concludes, though.
What lies ahead for Kone remains uncertain. United paid merely £1million to acquire him from Guidars FC two years ago, making the deal low-risk with potentially significant rewards.
The ideal outcome would see Kone mature into a player capable of filling the Casemiro position in the first team. The worst-case scenario involves him falling short of the required standard and being sold, ideally at a profit.
United academy chief Stephen Torpey was recently questioned about nurturing defensive midfielders at the club. "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."
When Kone pitched up in Manchester, his most glaring shortcoming was his physical condition. He was enrolled on a gymnasium regime to develop muscle mass, while United arranged English tuition to fast-track his language acquisition.
Travis Binnion (former U21 boss, now member of the first-team coaching setup) and Tommy Rowe (former U21 player-coach, now Under-15 head coach) also undertook French classes to better communicate with Kone.
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The following phase involved coaching Kone to gain a deeper understanding of his role, instructing him when to maintain discipline as a holding midfielder and when it was permissible to advance up the field.
In some early matches, he became overzealous and found himself lurking around the opposition's penalty area.
There remains considerable work ahead for Kone before he can make the leap to the senior squad.