Sassuolo sign Ismaël Koné from Marseille before Napoli clash | OneFootball

Sassuolo adds quality and dynamism to the midfield with the arrival of Ismaël Koné. The neroverde club has officially announced the signing of the 2002-born midfielder, who arrives from Olympique Marseille on a loan deal with an option to buy, which can become an obligation if certain conditions are met.

Sassuolo, midfield boost ahead of Napoli: Ismaël Koné's arrival from Marseille is official

Koné, born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, but raised in Montreal, has a unique story behind him. After starting with Notre-Dame-de-Grâce Panthers and CS Saint-Laurent, he made a name for himself in his home country until he joined the first team of CF Montreal in 2021. The impact was immediate: he scored on his debut in the CONCACAF Champions League and ended 2022 with 4 goals and 5 assists in 32 appearances.

These performances earned him a move to Europe, to Watford, where he made his debut in the FA Cup in January 2023 and collected 63 appearances, 4 goals, and 4 assists in the Championship. In June 2024, he moved to Marseille, but struggled to establish himself (9 appearances), finding more playing time in the second half of the season on loan at Rennes, with 13 appearances, 2 goals, and 1 assist. Koné has chosen to represent Canada internationally, making his debut in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers and participating in the tournament in Qatar. With the national team jersey, he has already reached 31 appearances and 3 goals, also taking part in the Copa America, Gold Cup, and CONCACAF Nations League. A young but already experienced international profile, who fits into Fabio Grosso's new technical project. Sassuolo is counting on him to strengthen a department that needed energy, running, and vision of the game.

Andrea Alati

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