Speaking to kicker, Borussia Mönchengladbach sporting director Roland Virkus has revealed that midfielder Manu Koné has told the club that he wishes to leave this summer.
When asked about Koné, Virkus said: “Manu Koné told us quite early on that he would like to leave the club. But there is no movement there either. We are watching the Olympic Games and then we will have to see what happens. If something comes up, we will listen to it. But without the pressure to do it. In the end, it has to be a good fit for all parties.”
The 23-year-old, who is currently at the Olympics with France, has attracted interest from AC Milan and Juventus over the past few weeks. A fee for Koné has previously been quoted at least €20m, as last summer a clause in his contract was activated that extended his contract until 2026. Gladbach looks to build up funds so they can continue rebuilding their squad, after a big upheaval last summer.
Last season, like Gladbach, was not Koné’s best and he struggled with form as well as injuries, which meant that the midfielder has struggled to build upon his strong first two seasons in the Bundesliga where he showed a lot of promise.
For Gladbach, the midfield is one of the positions where they have the most depth, especially with the summer signing of Philipp Sander from Holstein Kiel. On top of Sander, Gladbach has Rocco Reitz, Florian Neuhaus, Julian Weigl, Christoph Kramer, new signing Kevin Stöger and Oscar Fraulo who returns from a loan at Utrecht.
GGFN | Jack Meenan
