Manchester City are among the clubs keeping tabs on Moussa Koné, Villarreal’s 17-year-old attacking midfielder, but Marseille have gone further than anyone and are already in talks over a move.
According to Africafoot, the Ligue 1 side have made the Spanish-Malian teenager one of their priorities and have contacted the people around him. Negotiations are under way, and the question now is whether Villarreal will be willing to let him go.
Man City are not alone in watching. Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, Barcelona and Real Madrid are all said to be following his progress, and he was a target for several of Europe’s biggest clubs last summer before he signed a new deal at Villarreal.
Who is Moussa Koné?
Koné, nicknamed “Aguya”, is regarded as one of the brightest young talents in Spanish football. He plays for Villarreal’s Juvenil A, the club’s under-19 side, after stepping up from Juvenil B, where he scored two goals and set up four more in 22 games.
This season he has played eight times for Juvenil A, including two games in the UEFA Youth League. In the División de Honor he has one goal and two assists from six matches, with Villarreal second in their group on 16 points, one behind leaders Torrent CF with a game in hand.
Why the €50m clause matters
Villarreal moved to protect him in the spring. In May, his agent Modibo Sissoko revealed the midfielder had extended his contract to 2029, with a release clause of around €50m. The new deal came with a pay rise, and the club also agreed to pay a sum each time he moves up to a higher team.
The plan Sissoko laid out was a gradual one: Juvenil A first, then Villarreal’s C and B sides and eventually the senior squad. He described Koné as a player with big potential and one of the best young players in Spain right now.
Sissoko also admitted the interest had not gone away. “There are many clubs that are still interested in him, such as Juventus and Real Madrid among others. Despite everything, we decided that he should continue with Villarreal, and then we will see what happens next,” he said.
Can Man City beat Marseille to him?
There has been no word on what Villarreal would accept short of the clause, or whether they are ready to sell at all. That leaves City in a watching brief for now, while Marseille are the ones actually at the table.
It fits a clear pattern at the Etihad, though. City already have a pre-agreement in place to bring in Philadelphia Union’s American wonderkid Cavan Sullivan, they are leading the race for a 17-year-old who broke Christian Pulisic’s USA record at Borussia Dortmund, and they have joined Arsenal in tracking Chelsea’s Brazilian teenager.
Is Moussa Koné worth the chase for Man City?
In our view, this one is a long shot for City, and that might not be a bad thing. A €50m clause for a teenager who is still in Villarreal’s under-19 side is a lot of money, and the club’s own plan is to take him through the B team step by step.
Marseille being the most active suitor tells you where this is heading in the short term. If Koné does leave, the smart move for City would be to keep watching rather than overpay now, and come back if his progress at Villarreal matches the hype.
