The Roma and France midfielder was reportedly on the Reds' radar in the summer of 2023 but Liverpool signed Endo and Gravenberch instead
Kone impressed at the World Cup for France, surprising many by playing a key role in midfield
Kone impressed at the World Cup for France, surprising many by playing a key role in midfield(Image: FIFA via Getty Images)
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Back in the summer of 2023, Liverpool embarked on a wholesale rejuvenation of an ailing midfield department that had limped through the previous season, with perennial figures and squad options alike departing for pastures new.
The 2022-23 season had seen an injury crisis that started at centre-back spread into the midfield when first-choice starters Jordan Henderson and Fabinho were drafted in at centre-back, further stretching already tired legs and leading to a young Stefan Bajcetic being promoted to the starting XI.
Unfortunately, it was too much too soon for Bajcetic, who would suffer an adductor injury and is yet to reclaim his place. Henderson and Fabinho then departed for Saudi Arabia and Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner would leave on the expiry of their contracts in search of more regular football.
This inevitably marked the end of Jurgen Klopp's great team - 'Liverpool 1.0' - and the German himself would only stay at the helm for one more season, but not before overseeing an overhaul that set Liverpool up for Premier League success under Arne Slot in 2024-25.
Under the supervision of eccentric sporting director Jorg Schmadtke, Liverpool brought in Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo as a completely new-look midfield took shape.
But one player who was rarely far from the headlines that summer whose signing never came to pass was 22-year-old Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Manu Kone.
Now 25 and plying his trade for Roma and Serie A, Kone has once again been linked with a Liverpool move as the Reds embark on a third summer of churn in the last four years, with doubts lingering over the futures of Mac Allister and long-serving academy product Curtis Jones.
Corriere dello Sport reported on Monday (July 13) that Roma want €60m to let Kone go amid interest from Atletico Madrid, Manchester United and Liverpool.
The Parisian-born defensive midfielder played a key role for France before exiting at the semi-final stage to Spain on Tuesday night - but is he worth the money?
Kone's impressive World Cup
Signing a player after a strong World Cup campaign is something of a modern cliche in football, and it doesn't always work out. But Kone's World Cup run was nevertheless very impressive.
France's four-pronged attack left their midfield two with plenty of responsibility, but Kone rose to the challenge. Typically starting alongside Adrien Rabiot as Aurelien Tchouameni managed a thigh injury, Kone's recoveries and quick passing acted as the release valve for the team billed as the best in the tournament.
Kone shepherded possession well for France over his five appearances, completing 92.0% of his passes overall. In the maelstrom of his country's ugly last 16 tie with Paraguay, no player made more accurate passes (66) or completed more passes into the final third (17) than Kone.
This was no one-off, either. Only Tchouameni made more accurate passes for France against Norway, and only Dayot Upamecano made more recoveries, touches and passes into the final third against Iraq.
Kone made more recoveries per 90 (5.83) than 83% of other midfielders at the World Cup, and won possession in the final third (0.93 times per 90) more often than 85% of his positional peers.
On the whole, Kone provided much-needed balance in a highly attacking setup, keeping attacks ticking and stepping up well to cut off attacks at source in games where France were the superior team.
Like his teammates, though, Kone struggled up against a well-drilled, combative Spain side - exposing some of the weaknesses that remain in his game.
France were knocked out by a sharper, more physical Spanish side who possessed more technical quality than France's opponents earlier in the competition
France were knocked out by a sharper, more physical Spanish side who possessed more technical quality than France's opponents earlier in the competition(Image: FIFA via Getty Images)
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An awkward fit?
Kone replaced a ropey Rabiot at half-time against Spain and was unable to make an impact on a struggling midfield. He won just one of his six ground duels and was beaten for his only aerial duel, also completing neither of his two attempted dribbles and committing two fouls.
Unfortunately, Kone's 6'1" frame and combative qualities are not always matched by defensive efficiency. Looking at his stats for the 2025-26 Serie A season and comparing them against his positional peers, these weaknesses are brought into focus.
Kone wins a reasonably high number of duels (5.67 per 90, 74th percentile) but this is matched by the number of duels he contests. In Serie A last season, Kone won a fairly average 50.5% of his duels (57th percentile) and 50.9% of his aerial duels (64th percentile).
He also committed more fouls per 90 (1.72) than 78% of his midfield peers, and was dispossessed a troubling 1.32 times per 90 - more often than 86% of other Serie A midfielders.
That last point could be partially explained by Kone's tendency to dribble forwards with the ball. He completed 1.06 dribbles per 90 in the league last season (85th percentile), more than double his rate for France at the World Cup and succeeded with 61.7% of those he attempted (83rd percentile).
For France, though, despite playing a less active role in carrying the ball up the field, Kone still lost possession 0.93 times per 90 (41st percentile).
Kone was also dribbled past 1.02 times per 90 in Serie A last season (22nd percentile), though this slightly improved for France at the World Cup (0.70 times per 90, 56th percentile).
These traits, however, should be a red flag when considering his suitability for Liverpool and the Premier League. With a new pressing structure in place, the hope will be that Liverpool's midfielders are less exposed next season, but a defensive midfielder in a pressing team should be expected to deal with the occasional situation in a game where they are left to defend space.
Kone committed more fouls (47) over the course of the 2025-26 Serie A season than 97% of other midfielders in the division
Kone committed more fouls (47) over the course of the 2025-26 Serie A season than 97% of other midfielders in the division(Image: CameraSport via Getty Images)
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Kone's struggles up against dribblers and his tendency to give away fouls suggest he wouldn't be suited to this role - though somehow getting away with just two yellow cards from 47 fouls in the league is definitely worthy of admiration.
The positives
In Kone's defence, there are plenty of traits to his game that help to explain why he was trusted so often why Didier Deschamps, and why big clubs across Europe are paying attention to his situation.
The most interesting statistic about Kone is the number of passes he completes compared to his number of touches. Kone completed 45.35 passes per 90 in Serie A last season (80th percentile), while only making 65.15 touches per 90 (73rd percentile).
This means about two thirds of his touches were passes - a valuable trait in any side that looks to progress the ball quickly. Just 1.28 of these passes per 90 were long balls, the mark of a player who can move the ball quickly while still reliably keeping his side in possession.
Given Liverpool were so pedestrian in midfield last season, this is a trait the Reds need to be targeting. Combined with his strong ball-carrying ability, Kone definitely fits the bill for an Iraola midfielder - at least in possession.
Kone also won more fouls per 90 (1.94) than 84% of his positional peers last season, counter-balancing his tendency to lose possession somewhat. If this were an ability he could reproduce in the Premier League, it may help him to cope with the increased pressure he would likely face as opposed to the more conservative off-the-ball tactics that are common in Italy.
Kone is not a particularly creative midfielder - creating just 0.92 chances per 90 (47th percentile) - but Deschamps, himself the original 'water-carrier', understands better than most how valuable it can be to have a player in the team whose role is primarily to keep the side ticking.
The verdict
Manu Kone is clearly a talented player and one who fulfils many of the requirements of a functional midfielder in a high-possession, high-pressing team.
His first instinct is to keep the ball moving with one and two-touch passing, and he isn't afraid to dribble forwards with the ball when the game requires it.
His knack for making ball recoveries is another indispensable trait in a team that plays on the front foot and tries to exhaust their opponents through constant waves of pressure.
Kone has demonstrated his ability to defend on the front foot when playing in a more aggressive system for France, being a regular ball-winner high up the pitch, and his combativeness in the number of duels he attempts - persevering even when his side are second-best - is a testament to his positive attitude and work rate.
However, Kone comes up short physically too often in his 50/50s. Though his height means he wins more aerial duels than he loses - again a valuable trait in a pressing side against whom opponents are likely to go long - his ground duel success rate is average at best for a defensive-minded player and is unlikely to earn him too many plaudits in an increasingly-physical Premier League.
His tendency to get caught in possession and give away fouls is also a problem that would likely be exploited more damagingly in the Premier League, and at 25 there is less room for improvement than you may expect from a younger player.
The most encouraging element to Kone's game is his ability to adapt it for a more attacking system as he has for France, and there are plenty of positives to suggest he could play a valuable squad role for Liverpool next season.
Ultimately, though, Kone is not the fix-all solution for Liverpool. If the Reds want a more progressive midfielder, he would arguably represent a downgrade on a player like Mac Allister - who is similarly combative but possesses more quality in the final third as well as his more imaginative passing range.
If Liverpool are on the hunt for an out-and-out defensive midfielder, they will be looking for a player who possesses similar traits on the ball to Kone, but also someone who can win the physical battle in every game and more reliably cut out attacks when the press is beaten.
Is Kone good enough for Liverpool? Probably, as a balanced squad option. Should he be the primary midfield transfer target? Probably not.
Liverpool decided against signing Kone in 2023, and that decision has been vindicated by the title-winning performances of the midfielders who were bought in his place.
What is for certain, though, is that Liverpool now have a problem and arguably need to identify someone even if neither of Jones or Mac Allister departs.
The Italian publication that broke the latest link to Kone isn't always the most trustworthy, but stranger things have happened than Liverpool returning for a well-respected player they first showed interest in three years ago.