Man Utd transfer news: Gladbach sign up Zakaria replacement

Stefan Bienkowski

• Updated: 19 May 2021 15:43 BST
• 2 min read

Borussia Moenchengladbach have completed the signing of French midfielder Kouadio Kone, the man many believe to be the club’s long-term replacement for Denis Zakaria. 

Kone has astounded French football fans since breaking into Toulouse’s first team in May 2019 and despite the club’s relegation from Ligue 1, Kone has still proved to be an exceptional defensive midfielder. 

Signed for a reported fee of around £8 million, Kone will join up with his new Bundesliga club at the end of the season, after being loaned back to Toulouse for the remainder of their own domestic campaign. 

“Kouadio Kone is a highly interesting player who we have known for some time from playing for the French youth national teams and for his club Toulouse,” Borussia’s sporting director Max Eberl said in a statement on the Gladbach website. 

“He is a great talent who has been courted by various top clubs in Europe and we are delighted that he has chosen Borussia Moenchengladbach and the Bundesliga.”

What does this mean for Zakaria’s future?

While Kone’s arrival at Gladbach will be of great interest to the Bundesliga itself, his signing may also mean an even bigger transfer is due to take place later this year. 

Since joining the Foals in 2017, Zakaria has proved to be an accomplished defensive or box-to-box midfielder in the Bundesliga. And at just 24 years of age, there’s undoubtedly much more to come. 

According to consisten rumours over the course of the last year, Premier League sides Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City are all very interested in signing the midfielder and may now get the chance at the end of the season. 

Not only does it now look as though Gladbach have a ready-made replacement in hand, but the club will also be well aware of the fact that Swiss international’s contract is set to expire at the end of next season. 

That would mean that this coming summer transfer window would be the last opportunity Gladbach would have to cash in on one of their most prized assets. And it seems as though the Bundesliga side would be reluctant to let that opportunity pass them by.