German football reporter Tobi Altschäffl believes that one reported Liverpool transfer target would be a ‘perfect’ fit for Premier League football.
In the last 24 hours, the journalist endorsed a tweet from his BILD colleague Christian Falk which stated that the Reds have begun talks with the representatives of Manu Kone.
Speaking exclusively with Empire of the Kop, Altschäffl gave Kopites some insight into the Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder’s main strengths.
He said of the 22-year-old: “His main strength, I think, is that he’s physically a really top player; he has a strong body, he’s very good in tackles and he’s just a powerful guy – so that’s perfect for the Premier League.
“I think he needs to have a club that is very ambitious, to have good teammates because his problem at Gladbach was that the team was struggling and there was a French connection (five or six speaking French) and he was in that bubble and he didn’t really come out…He maybe needs the Liverpool mentality to show his full potential.”
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At 5 foot 11, Kone mightn’t seem from afar to be the most physically imposing midfielder in high-level football, but figures from FBref back up Altschäffl’s assertion about the Frenchman’s physicality.
Averaging 2.55 tackles and 1.52 blocks per game, in the process ranking among the top 23% of positional peers in Europe’s five main league for both metrics, he’s clearly not afraid to get stuck in or put his body on the line for the good of the team.
Furthermore, a scout report from Breaking The Lines in 2022 noted how the Monchengladbach man ‘can be considered an aggressive player’ who’s ‘unafraid of executing a tackle’.
The Premier League is renowned for its physicality, so Kone’s tigerish traits could indeed see him transition easily to the English top flight, ideally in a Liverpool shirt.
As for potentially having good teammates at Anfield…you only need to look at the heartfelt tributes which have been paid by the Reds’ players to those who are departing the club this summer to see just how tight-knit a squad Jurgen Klopp has developed.
Altschäffl’s insight on the 22-year-old is very interesting, and from his observations, it seems that the midfielder could be a good match for the Merseysiders if we can land his signature.