Sekou Kone: Hint dropped on where “unplayable” Man United star will play next season | OneFootball

If there has ever been a better opportunity for exciting Manchester United academy midfielders to break into the senior team, it is now.

Midfield overhaul

Casemiro has left, and Manuel Ugarte is set to be sidelined long term after the injury he picked up with Uruguay at the World Cup. This United team therefore needs at least three new midfield options to possess a stronger engine room that Michael Carrick can rely on.

A deal for one of these options is set to be finalised, with Ederson due to complete his United medical this week. Attention will now turn to who follows the Samba star to Old Trafford.

However, it has proven tricky to capture other top targets. It remains a mystery whether United will opt for a big-money signing or instead make a double midfield swoop for more attainable options.

That said, if a marquee move for a top target like Alex Scott or Aurélien Tchouaméni goes through, United may look to the academy to produce the third midfield reinforcement.

Why Sekou Kone has a long way to break into this Man United team

Ideally, this should have been when Sekou Koné broke into the team, but that now looks unlikely.

Kone’s signing had United full of expectation. The Malian was one of the most exciting young midfield talents at the time.

Brought in during the summer of 2024, his maiden season was spent getting accustomed to English football while turning out for the academy. He did really well at junior level, even being dubbed “unplayable” at one point.

Last season, he was expected to take his career to the next level and start earning chances with the first team. However, earlier in the season, he fractured his eye socket in a collision against Tamworth, an injury that left him sidelined for months.

His development suffered as a result, and when he returned, INEOS looked to jump-start his progress by sending him on loan to one of United’s sister clubs, Lausanne Sport.

Tricky time out on loan

He should have kicked on at Lausanne Sport, but he did not. He never played much there, making it a frustrating time for the midfielder.

This summer, Kone was expected to return to United, likely featuring in pre-season with a chance to show what he is all about. Unfortunately, though, that may not be the case, as Kone looks set to stay at Lausanne Sport, likely in another loan deal.

Hint dropped

The 20-year-old has already started pre-season training with the Swiss side and even featured in the second half of their 1-0 friendly win over Étoile. As things stand, Kone is unlikely to be part of United’s pre-season plans.

The hope now is that, by staying at Lausanne Sport, he can finally kick on. That said, exciting United talents like Jim Thwaites and Tyler Fletcher can use this pre-season to force their way into Carrick’s plans for next season.

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