Aston Villa have been linked with a Bundesliga ace, in a signing that could start Monchi’s tenure as president of football operations with a bang.
Unai Emery will be joined by his fellow Spaniard in the bid to replicate the duo’s success in the transfer windows they endeavoured in together at Sevilla.
The latest link suggests that the pair could enjoy a lavish summer in the Midlands, in a signing that could bolster the squad.
What’s the latest on Manu Kone to Aston Villa?
As reported by the Daily Mail earlier this week, Aston Villa are interested in Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Manu Kone.
The report claims that the Villans have joined ‘the race’ for the 22-year-old, following Liverpool and Wolves in their pursuit of the youngster.
Valued at £35m, the Frenchman is contracted to Gladbach until 2025 with the club holding the option to extend for an additional year.
What could Manu Kone offer to Aston Villa?
Emery has unveiled the best out of midfield dynamos Douglas Luiz and Boubacar Kamara, who when interchanged with the likes of John McGinn have proved their worth in the Premier League.
The Spaniard could now add additional power to the middle of the park by signing the Bundesliga talent, who could prove to be the perfect partner for Kamara who joined the club last summer.
The former Marseille gem had a stop-start opening campaign at Villa, missing periods due to injury with the club treading carefully in integrating him into the midfield to avoid prolonged absence.
Lauded as a “phenomenon” by former teammate Rolando, Kamara is destined for stardom in Emery’s midfield and could be taken to the next level in being paired with Kone.
The attributes that the duo share suggest that they could be a strong pairing in the set-up at Villa Park.
When comparing both players via FBref based upon their averages over this season in their respective league’s there is sufficient evidence to imply the success the French core could impose in the Midlands.
Hailed as a “one-man army” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Kone averaged an impressive 2.55 tackles per 90 which was slightly bettered by Kamara in the Premier League who ended the campaign making an average of 2.94 per 90.
It’s not just the defensive areas of midfield that the pair excel at, as they both portray an impressive rate of passing both in general play and progressively.
As per FBref, the Bundesliga gem averaged a pass completion rate of 86.2% followed closely by the Villa ace’s 84.8%, with both players ranking highly in terms of progressive passes with the summer target averaging 5.73 to Kamara’s 4.25 per 90.
Having two players equipped with strong abilities in both defensive and offensive attributes is essential in creating the perfect pivot in the engine room.
Emery could take his squad a step further in purchasing Kone, who could prove to be a force to be reckoned with in the Premier League.
