In recent years, ties between Olympique de Marseille and Italy have strengthened. It’s no secret that Pablo Longoria has kept excellent contacts on the other side of the Alps where he notably served as director of recruitment at Juventus. Ditto for Medhi Benatia, who spent part of his career at Udinese, AS Roma and Juventus. The two strong men of OM, with Italian coach Roberto De Zerbi, like to deal with Serie A teams. Last summer, they sent Jonathan Rowe to Bologna. Adrien Rabiot, who had a clash with him, settled down at AC Milan. Ismaël Koné was recruited by Sassuolo.
Koné is gaining momentum
The Canadian, who joined OM in the summer of 2024 from Watford, has not really had much playing time to get his teeth into. Injured, he then took part in 9 matches in all competitions in the Olympian jersey. He was not decisive, having often been a substitute without actually coming into play (7 times). To regain confidence and playing time, he was sent on loan to Rennes during the second part of the season. In Brittany, he played 13 matches. Time for him to score 1 goal and deliver 2 assists. Once the season ended, SRFC did not exercise its purchase option and returned to Marseille. But he quickly understood that he would not stay there. So when Sassuolo came knocking on his door, he grabbed the handle and this opportunity.
It was therefore the subject of a paying loan of €2.5 million with a purchase obligation (if maintained) of €10 million. In addition, residents of the Orange Vélodrome retain a percentage of any potential resale. A choice which could prove wise since the native of Abidjan is starting to make a name for himself in the boot and elsewhere. President Giovanni Carnevali was enthusiastic about this nice move in the transfer window. “Among today’s recruitments, which, in my opinion, could bring something significant, is Koné. Could it be worth 20 to 30 million euros one day? I hope so, because a club like ours certainly has very strong shareholders, like the Mapei group and the Squinzi family, but we always favor young players. Last year, we had one of the youngest teams in the championship, if not the youngest.
Sassuolo and Italy are conquered
On the pitch, Koné experienced ups and downs. Starting against Naples on August 23, he spent 67 minutes on the field, he who was sent off. Which did not prevent him from making a good impression with the press. Suspended against Cremonese on August 29, he then played a series of matches, being on the bench only once without playing. He thus displays a record of 14 matches played in all competitions, all as a starter (1136 minutes of play in total). Regarding his stat line, he has already scored 3 goals. The first dates from September 28 against Udinese. The last two are more recent. He was a scorer in the 3-1 success against Fiorentina on December 6. He did it again last weekend during the 2-2 draw against AC Milan. In full growth, he was there, except against Como according to the Italian media.
Interviewed last weekend, the player was on cloud nine. “I am happy to have made history with this goal. We could have won, but we were playing against a very strong team. Attacking build-ups are part of my game, I have to continue to do it.” Fabio Grosso, his trainer, will not complain about it. “He has great qualities. He must be able to express them regularly, because this is where he must progress. Technique, quantity, quality. These are the characteristics of great players. The press is also won over. Journalist for Tuttosport and the Corriere della SeraMichele Tossani tells us: “He’s an excellent player. He forms a solid and balanced midfield with Matic. Sassuolo were clever and also a bit lucky to sign a player who, for various reasons, Marseille let go. He has great running ability, recovers a lot of balls and shows great tactical intelligence. In addition, he is also effective in his offensive projections.
A future transfer is already mentioned
La Gazzetta dello Sport also showers him with praise. “Ismaël Koné is a sure value. Only one fault in 13 matches (in Serie A) for the black and green midfielder, who now has three goals in the league. After a difficult start to the season in Serie A, Ismaël Koné is showing signs of improvement day after day. At San Siro, he shone by entering the penalty area after a good exchange with Pinamonti at the edge of the area, finishing with a right-footed strike. Against Fiorentina, he made a run from midfield, finishing with the same foot. On his first goal of the season, he also excelled by penetrating the box and sliding the ball into the back of the net. Attacking build-ups are the main weapon of Grosso’s midfield, who, with Matic and Thorstvedt alongside him, has found a balance between quality and quantity in midfield.
Needless to say, Sassuolo should not hesitate to exercise their purchase option. But it is possible that the Canadian will change direction again next summer. TMW announces that the player sees his value increase from month to month, since his market value has increased. It went from €9 million in June 2025 to €12 million at the beginning of October according to the specialized site transfermarkt. But this figure must have increased since then. TMW adds that Sassuolo does not intend to sell him this winter. But a departure during the summer of 2026 is strongly considered for an amount between €25 and €30 million. It should be kept in mind that OM will receive a percentage on a resale. Suffice to say that a transfer of Ismaël Koné, whose name has been closely linked to Inter and AS Roma, would be excellent news for Olympian finances.
