Liverpool’s imminent appointment of Jorg Schmadtke as sporting director could help them sign Manu Kone this summer.
That’s according to journalist Christian Falk, who reports that Schmadtke looks set to begin life at Anfield from June 1st.
“I’ve heard that Jorg Schmadtke will start life as Liverpool’s next sporting director on 1st June,” he told CaughtOffside. “He has a good eye on talents, that’s always his big thing in that he sees the players that will develop very quickly and well.”
That sounds good to us. Putting forward one such name, Falk suggests Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Kone as being a potential option for the Reds.
“There are many names in the Bundesliga, like Manu Kone and so on, that are already in Liverpool’s focus,” he said. “These are the kinds of players that he will look for; players who have some experience and who the club can get the most value from in the transfer window.”
Schmadtke set for Bundesliga assignment
Schmadtke’s impending arrival at Liverpool continues to be of intrigue. Journalist Florian Plettenburg reported via Twitter earlier in the week that the 59-year-old is being brought in primarily to target players in the Bundesliga.
Reading between the lines, that simply must mean that Liverpool have some specific players in mind.
Up until this point, the player from Germany most often linked with the Reds is Bayern Munich’s Ryan Gravenberch. But Gravenberch is a pretty high profile target, and Liverpool have plenty of experience doing business with Bayern anyway. It seems unlikely they’d need Schmadtke’s extra help there.
So, that leads us to speculate that the Reds are perhaps about to pull a name a little from left-field. One that hasn’t been previously named as a ‘top target.’
In that respect, Kone could really fit the bill. According to Falk himself, he’s reportedly set to be available for around £44m this summer and looks to have all the attributes to be a top midfielder.
Back in March, journalist Fabrizio Romano claimed that Manchester United, Chelsea and PSG were ‘leading the race’ for the 22-year-old. But Liverpool have always been tentatively named as an option.
As a result, we wouldn’t be surprised if Kone were to be the player Liverpool have identified for Schmadtke to work his magic on. He’s young, quality, relatively well priced and has plenty of room to grow into an even better midfielder. Keep your eyes on this one, Reds.
