Having already landed the bargain signing of Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton, Liverpool are hard at work trying to find another new midfielder. Kone has attracted plenty of interest from across Europe but the Reds have stepped up their pursuit of the 22-year-old in recent weeks by opening talks with his representatives.
While Gladbach are understood to be keen to keep hold of Kone, director Virkus has admitted that the club will sell him, or any other player, if their valuations are met.
“Our attitude is well-known,” Virkus told kicker. “If there are sums involved that a club like Borussia has to think about, we will do it.”
Kone is by no means the only option under consideration by Liverpool, who have also spoken to the representatives of fellow Frenchman Khephren Thuram, who discussed his future recently and insisted he was in no rush to leave Nice.
Chelsea’s Mason Mount, Bayern Munich’s Ryan Gravenberch, Wolves’ Ruben Neves and former Leicester man Youri Tielemans are all on Liverpool’s lengthy shortlist as well as the Reds seek to continue their midfield rebuild.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, James Milner and Naby Keita have all left the club this summer, with the latter inking a deal to return to the Bundesliga with Werder Bremen. Arthur has also returned to Juventus after his loan expired.
Another midfielder, 20-year-old Fabio Carvalho, will be allowed to leave on loan this summer amid frustrations over his limited minutes last season
Any club that signs Tottenham striker Harry Kane this summer would be one that ‘doesn’t care about value for money’ according to the leader of Liverpool’s transfer analysis team, Dr Ian Graham.
Kane is set to enter the final 12 months of his contract with Spurs this summer and has attracted serious interest from Manchester United and Real Madrid, although 90min understands chairman Daniel Levy has made it clear he has no intentions of selling his star striker this summer regardless of how much money is offered.
Even if Levy could be convinced to sell Kane, it would take an enormous transfer fee which would put Kane among the most expensive players in history – the sort of deal which Graham, Liverpool’s director of research, believes would be a huge risk.
Asked which club will end up signing Kane this summer, Graham told the Cheltenham Science Festival: “A club that doesn’t care about value for money.”
Graham added: “He’s 29. It’s going to be a high transfer fee for three years of performance that might start declining.
From a data point of view, it’s magnificent the way Alex Ferguson constructed a team that was ageing just as he left [Manchester United]. It really did cement his legacy.”
Kane has been told he will not be sold this summer as Spurs still hope to convince the striker to sign a contract extension next season before he is able to leave the club on a free transfer.
Graham, who will leave Liverpool this summer after 11 years as part of the club’s transfer analysis team, also took the time to crush any slim hopes the Reds may have of landing long-time social media target Kylian Mbappe.
“Unfortunately, financially, out of Liverpool’s league,” he said of the Paris Saint-Germain forward.
