Norwich City keen to secure transfer agreement for 20-year-old | OneFootball

Norwich City are “pushing” to recruit CF Montreal midfielder Ismael Kone, according to last night’s Twitter update from journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The 20-year-old has been a regular starter for the Canadian outlet in the MLS during the 2022 campaign thus far, recording one goal and three assists in 16 league appearances and standing out as a bright performer.

He has even managed to force his way into John Herdman’s thoughts, making two appearances as a senior level for Canada already and looks set to become an established international in the coming years if he can continue developing at his current rate.

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Anfield

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His performances have alerted the Canaries, who were dealt a blow earlier in pre-season when it was revealed summer signing Isaac Hayden had sustained an injury and probably wouldn’t play any part in pre-season, potentially keeping him out of the starting lineup during the early stages of the 2022/23 season.

Although this setback isn’t set to keep him out for the long term, Dean Smith’s side are seemingly desperate to get another midfielder over the line very shortly with Billy Gilmour returning to Chelsea in the summer, Lukas Rupp being released and Pierre Lees-Melou securing a move to Brest last week.

According to reporter Romano, officials at Carrow Road were in Washington on Saturday to try and convince the Canadian to make the switch to Carrow Road, though it’s currently unclear whether their attempts have been successful.

The Verdict:

This is a signing that will add yet more quality to the midfield area, with Hayden already an excellent signing to make in the second tier.

With the likes of Gabriel Sara, Kieran Dowell and Todd Cantwell at Smith’s disposal as well, he has plenty of long-term options to benefit from, though it remains to be seen whether Cantwell gets squeezed out of the starting lineup with this potential addition.

In fairness, the former AFC Bournemouth loanee could potentially operate on the wing with his versatility being a real asset. This move could also enable him to move on permanently if they get an offer and the Canaries are open to letting him go.

In terms of a price tag, it will be interesting to see how much the club are willing to pay for him because although they will benefit from having parachute payments, they also need to adapt to the challenges of returning to the second tier.

He may be a worthwhile investment because of his ability and the fact his age indicates he will only get better – but they will need to make sure they are getting value for money after forking out a reported £6m for summer signing Sara.