Arrived this summer in Sassuolo from Olympique de Marseille, Ismaël Koné discovers Serie A with ambition. Loaned last season to Stade Rennais, where he was able to garner experience, the Canadian environment was sold by OM in the form of a loan with a compulsory purchase option under certain conditions. His arrival in Émilie-Romagne did not go unnoticed: welcomed as a real rockstar by the Tifosi Nerovedi, Koné quickly seduced by his energy and his slaughter in the midfield. Its summer preparation ended with a noticed performance in Coppa Italia against Catanzaro, revealing a major role in the coming season. At just 23 years old, Koné tackles this new stage in his career with the firm intention of taking a CAP. Sassuolo, recognized for years for his know-how in the training and development of young talents before propeling them to the largest European clubs, represents an ideal environment for his progression. In this context, the Canadian environment hopes to establish itself as a centerpiece of the Neroverde collective and confirm all the potential that had already seduced OM and Rennes.
“”Among today's recruitments, and which, in my opinion, could bring something significant, is Koné. Could it be worth 20 to 30 million euros one day? I hope, 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, even the youngest», Haded President Giovanni Carnevali has already rejoiced. As for his coach Fabio Grosso, he did not chew his words on the rapid importance that Koné took in his midfielder: “My impressions confirm what I said earlier (it is important, editor's note). We have done very good things because we have created many goal opportunities. However, we also left our opponents a little too easily in difficulty at certain times in the match. We must therefore absolutely improve our presence and our regularity throughout the match. We must recognize that these are these moments when you have to know how to fight and do it better than we did in the times when we had trouble today. But we have created a lot»»
A first big impression
The arrival of Koné aroused a real wave of enthusiasm in Italy. His transfer was even perceived as a little theater, as his name had not circulated before the negotiations were already well advanced. “”His arrival was welcomed with great enthusiasm. It was a somewhat unexpected drama, because his name appeared only at the last minute, when the negotiations were already well advanced. The expectations are great, because it is an important player for a club like Sassuolo, but at the same time, there are also doubts, because it did not work with Roberto de Zerbi. There is no doubt about its tactical, technical and physical qualities, but rather on its mental resistance. However, Sassuolo could be the ideal environment for him because it is completely different from Marseille. In the black and green jersey, with a coach like Fabio Grosso, he could find a lot of space and progress, by playing a very important year in Serie A“, Antonio Parrotto, editor -in -chief for us for Sassuolo News. Behind the wait aroused by his profile, there are therefore a few questions, notably linked to his experience in France and his ability to take the pressure of a championship as demanding as Serie A. The first matches have already given encouraging signals.
Friends or official competition, Koné quickly showed that he could bring new intensity and personality in the midfield, precious assets for a team renowned for his technical quality but sometimes criticized for his lack of physical density. “”The first impressions were positive. I followed him carefully during his first outings this season. He played a quarter of an hour during the friendly match against Empoli and had a very good impact. He was confirmed during the friendly match in France against Stade Brestois and also played an excellent match in his first official match in the Italian Cup against Catanzaro. It is obviously still too early to make a final judgment, because we are only at the beginning, we will have to see how he will react to the difficulties, but the first impressions are very positive. He is a player who brings personality and intensity, qualities very useful to a team like Sassuolo, who has often favored quality to quantity“, Continues Antonio Parrotto who also collaborates for the Sassuolo section of Web Mercato Tutto. At the dawn of his first full season in Serie A, Koné has all the ingredients to win in an environment cut for the emergence of young talents. If he confirms his promising beginnings, Sassuolo may well become the springboard that will propel his career towards a new dimension.
