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Spurs are still looking for a central midfielder by the end of the transfer window - has the perfect player just become available?
Tottenham Hotspur may have cracked one of the biggest problems they had heading into the summer transfer window – the lack of a first-rate striker – but with a little over a fortnight of the transfer window left to go there is still work to be done, and in particular Ange Postecoglou has made absolutely no secret of his desire to sign a new central midfielder by the end of August. Fortunately, one player who might just fit the bill has now started agitating for a move.
Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Manu Koné has been steadily growing his reputation in the Bundesliga since signing from Toulouse in 2021 and has now, according to Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, asked his club for a move. The club, meanwhile, seem happy to allow him to take his next step providing someone gives them a deal worth around €25m (£21.4m).
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Which sounds like a very reasonable price for a 23-year-old with a lot going for him and who was one of the standout performers in France’s run to the final of the men’s Olympic tournament, and should be well within the financial reach of a club like Spurs, who according to HITC are one of at least four Premier League clubs to which Koné has been offered in recent days as a result of his desire to leave.
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He also looks like he fits Postecoglou’s requirements down to a tee. He’s a pressing machine with the stamina, strength and reading of the game to put fires out across the midfield and a capable technician who is extremely comfortable with the ball at his feet. If Spurs want to push for a midfield that can press high and hard and get the ball upfield quickly once it’s been won back, Koné seems to fill the bill.
The 6’1” midfielder, who has yet to feature for the senior French national side but has represented his country right through the age groups, doesn’t have the kind of express pace that would be useful given his hard-running game both on and off the ball, but aside from that he has the physical profile and skills to be a hugely effective ball-winning midfielder, and the stats back up what he’s capable of.
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In the Bundesliga last year he forced 8.1 turnovers per match, a very high watermark, and managed to fix one of his biggest issues as well – in previous seasons, his judgement in the tackle was a little questionable and he committed far too many fouls, racking up an enormous 22 yellow cards in his first two seasons in the Bundesliga. Last year, that was down to just four, and he seems to have developed the kind of discipline and understanding of when to lunge in and when to hold off required to be a first-rate defensive midfielder.
But he’s got plenty in his legs on the ball, too, and he generates a lot of yards dribbling through the midfield and surging at the opposing defence. That running creates a healthy number of chances, too, and while his passing range and accuracy is respectable rather than exceptional, he still creates plenty of shooting opportunities for his team-mates.
The table above shows how Koné compares with his potential future team-mates as both creator and destroyer, using data from last season’s domestic league games. Yves Bissouma is the only current regular starter at Spurs who can outwork him on the defensive side of the ball, but Koné has the edge over all of his prospective peers when it comes to creativity and ball-carrying skills.
None of which actually brings Spurs closer to Koné’s signature. Liverpool and Manchester United have been tentatively linked in the past, and while United seem focussed on a deal for Manuel Ugarte, Liverpool missing out on Martín Zubimendi could see them come into the picture as well, and AC Milan have been linked with a bid as well – although as it stands, the sourcing for specific teams and their levels of interest is poor and there is little clarity as to his preferences or whether any teams have made an offer.
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What we do know is that Florian Plettenberg’s report suggested that he wants to join a “very ambitioned club” (sic) and ideally in the Champions League, and that latter clause could easily give other sides an edge in the race – but Spurs are in the room and could easily be the team making the best pitch.
Koné is a high-class player who is good at the very things Postecoglou wants his midfielders to be able to do, and in the areas he’s a little weaker, such as his passing, he remains perfectly capable – and at 23, he has room to develop further still. If Spurs, or indeed any other Premier League side, have the chance to sign him for a little over £21m, then that looks pretty close to a no-brainer given how much he could be worth in the future.