Why Chelsea should rival Newcastle's attempt to sign Kouadio Kone
Cameron Smith
- 23 Aug 2022 16:41 BST
- 3 min read
Newcastle United have reportedly told Borussia Monchengladbach that they're willing to spend upwards of €35 million to land midfielder Kouadio Kone this summer.
Eddie Howe's side are still in the market for new signings with the window drawing to a close, with another forward and a central midfielder on their list.
According to L'Equipe, Kone is top of their list, with the Magpies ready to splash a significant amount of money on the former Toulouse star.
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Kone, 21, joined Gladbach from boyhood club Toulouse in 2021, and has risen to prominence in the Bundesliga since.
His performances in the German top flight have caught the eye of Newcastle, who are keen to add him to a midfield that already contains Brazilian stars Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton.
However, while Newcastle are clearly in for Kone, Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea shouldn't let the St James' Park outfit have a free run at signing French U-21 international.
Chelsea don't need a midfielder, says Tuchel
After losing 3-0 away from home against Leeds United side, Tuchel was asked about any potential incomings in the middle of the park to combat the issues faced against Jesse Marsch's side, he swatted away any suggestions that the club needs a new signing in that area.
He replied: "Another midfielder? We have Jorginho, N'Golo Kante, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Conor Gallagher, Mateo Kovacic.
"They're [Kante and Kovacic] injured, yes, it's a problem. But they will come back. They've not disappeared."
However, injury issues for Kante and Kovacic have hampered Chelsea time and time again over the past year, with at least one of them seemingly always side-lined.
That was the case at Elland Road, with both players absent due to injury. Jorginho and academy graduate Conor Gallagher started in Tuchel's double pivot, but were completely overran by the Leeds midfield.
Chelsea were unable to assert their dominance, with Gallagher dispossessed too easily on several occasions, and the pace of the game too quick for Jorginho, who tends to perform best at a slower tempo.
With Kovacic and Kante no longer reliable fitness-wise, Chelsea need a solution, because Jorginho and Gallagher didn't play well against Leeds.
Why Kone would be a good option
The Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder has a little bit of everything, which is exactly why Chelsea should target him - Kovacic is sorely missed when he's injured, and Kone has shades of the Croatian in his game.
Not only is he technically excellent, as seen by his 1.7 dribbles per 90 (which ranks in the top three percent of midfielders in Europe's top five leagues), but he also adds a defensive intensity with 5.5 tackles and interceptions per 90.
His 2.7 interceptions per 90 is particularly impressive, as he ranks in the top five percent of midfielders in Europe's top five leagues for this metric, showing he can read the game excellently.
He's also extremely young, which suits the mould of player Chelsea have looked to this summer, and would be able to instantly improve the Blues squad.
Newcastle want him, but Chelsea need him.
