Ivorian Koné trains with Palmeiras’ first team, get to know him | OneFootball

Palmeiras faces Portuguesa this Saturday (10), at Canindé, in a match valid for the opening round of the Campeonato Paulista. On the field, Palmeiras fans will be able to see academy gems in action. One of them is the young Ivorian center-back Koné, 18 years old, who trained with the professional team this week at the Football Academy and could be a new face on the bench.

The 18-year-old, 1.93m tall defender stands out for his physical presence and is regarded as a prodigy within the club. As a foreigner, the defender, who has been at Palmeiras since 2023, only played in friendly and unofficial tournaments until he turned 18, in November 2025, when he also signed his first professional contract – the deal is valid until September 2028.

Out of the Copinha

After more than two years playing in friendly tournaments, Koné is finally eligible to play in official matches for Verdão. However, the Ivorian defender could not be registered for the 2026 São Paulo Junior Football Cup, since his registration in November missed the deadline set by the São Paulo Football Federation in October.

Palmeiras’ Planning

NOSSO PALESTRA has learned that Palmeiras has drawn up an ambitious plan for the African prospect. João Paulo Sampaio, together with Abel Ferreira and the club’s Football Board, want the youngster to be fully integrated into the professional squad very soon.

Moreover, there is an expectation that once promoted, Koné will be able to stand out in a short period of time and, because of this, receive high offers from European clubs and become Palmeiras’ next big sale, similar to the deal involving Vitor Reis and Manchester City.

Sources heard by NP state that the stay of the Ivorian defender marks the beginning of a new phase in Verdão’s youth categories. After many frustrating experiences with young South Americans, the youth academy board is betting heavily on opening up the African market in the country.

Palmeiras scouts, along with other Brazilian and European clubs, travel regularly to African countries to scout players in different locations and tournaments. In Koné’s case, the defender was already being monitored by teams like Barcelona, Chelsea, and Arsenal.

Barcelona’s Interest

NOSSO PALESTRA learned that to sign Koné, Palmeiras paid €350,000 (about R$2.2 million at the current exchange rate) to JEK FC, from Ivory Coast. Now, the club will pay around €1.1 million (about R$7 million) to acquire another 20% of the defender’s rights.

The contract also includes a €1 million bonus if certain goals are achieved with Verdão’s professional team, such as matches played.

Before arriving at Brazil’s Most Successful Club, the Ivorian youth national team defender received an official offer from Barcelona, Spain. The work and project presented by João Paulo Sampaio together with Didi Gualberto and the company FDD Sports, responsible for the player’s career, was crucial for his move to Brazil.

Koné is seen as Palmeiras’ next big sale in the near future. Barcelona remains interested in the defender, as do Premier League teams like Arsenal and Chelsea, who have been monitoring him since his time playing in Africa.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.