‘Seduce me’ - Liverpool transfer target breaks silence on his future

Manu Kone has insisted that he remains relaxed about his future amid Liverpool links.

The midfielder has been a reported target for the Reds in the summer transfer window. But with Liverpool already signing Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szboszlai for a combined £95 million, a move for Kone now appears that it may be unlikely.

What’s more, the 22-year-old - who made 31 times for Borussia Monchengladbach last season - suffered a knee injury on duty for France under-21s at the European Championships and has been ruled out of action for six weeks.

Kone, speaking to L’Equipe, explained that the club who want to prise him away from Monchengladbach will have to ‘seduce him’ with a project’ that appeals.

He said: “In my head it’s chill, it’s easy, it’s quiet, it’s soft, it thinks of nothing, everything is fine,” he said. “The more you think about it, the more you stress. Afterwards, you sleep less - I sleep well, there, dreaming of everything and nothing. It will happen what will happen. It’s not at 22 that I’m going to cry.

“To seduce me, you have to tell me that I will continue to progress. I’m not a sports director! I’m not really someone who will look at the city, tell me: ‘Ah that’s good’. If I like it, that I feel that I’m going to pass a course, I go for it.

“The stories, the rest, I know it’s important but I’ll see later! At worst, I’ll come back here [Villeneuve-la-Garenneto, his hometown] to play with the veterans when I’m 45 and it will be fine.”

Liverpool could sign another midfielder before the summer transfer window shut should one of their current options leave. Jordan Henderson has been offered the chance to reunite with Steven Gerrard at Al-Ettifaq while Thiago Alcantara has been the subject of interest from Saudi Arabian clubs.

Southampton’s Romeo Lavia is someone who the Reds have been monitoring.