Ismaël Koné is about to leave Olympique de Marseille for Serie A. The 23-year-old Canadian midfielder, not selected for the internship in the Netherlands, should join the promoted Sassuolo on loan with option to buy, according to several sources including Gianluca Di Marzio. The purchase option would become mandatory in the event of maintenance of the Italian club in Serie A. OM would also retain a percentage on a future resale.
The arrival of Koné for the Nerovedi is almost official. Fabio Grosso, Sassuolo coach, confirmed the progress of the file with Sassolonews :: “I did not speak to De Zerbi, but for Koné (Marseille) and Fadera (Como), it's on the right track. Two quality players who will integrate a generous group. »» The former Watford player, under contract until 2029 with Marseille, must take the direction of Italy in the coming hours to finalize his transfer.
A transfer to 2.5 million euros
Arrived at OM a year ago for 12 million euros, Koné never found his place in the Marseille team. After only 9 appearances in all competitions in the first part of the season, he had been loaned to Stade Rennais during the winter transfer window, where he played 13 games, scored 2 goals and issued 1 decisive pass. Despite these statistics, the Breton club did not raise its purchase option.
According to Foot transfer windowthe negotiations between OM and Sassuolo led to a paid loan of 2.5 million euros, with an obligation to purchase up to 10 million euros. OM, which had already tried to relaunch the player in reserve, now intends to separate definitively from Koné. Several Italian clubs, including Roma, Bologna and Parma, were also interested in the Canadian environment.
