1 week Ago By Sean Fisher
Sekou Kone was one of several young talents signed by Manchester United under Ineos in the summer.There has been a noticeable shift in transfer strategy since the Ineos takeover with Sir Jim Ratcliffe wanting to target young, promising players rather than splash millions on big-name superstars.Alongside the five first-team signings made in the summer, Ineos also poached some highly-rated youngsters from around the globe including Arsenal’s Chido Obi – who has since made his first-team debut at Manchester United this season.
In midfield, United worked on signing Sekou Kone for months before finally agreeing a ÂŁ1m deal to bring the 19-year-old star to Old Trafford.Kone has impressed recently after initially suffering an injury setback. A first-team breakthrough seems inevitable, but there are two traits he is working on in the meantime.
Photo by Manchester United/Manchester United via Getty ImagesMan United coaches target Sekou Kone improvementsAcademy coach Travis Binnion claimed Kone’s fitness has improved since joining United in the summer – he is quickly becoming a key player in the development squads.Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system requires two hard-working midfielders to cover a lot of ground and be comfortable in possession.It is down to coaches like Binnion to prepare Sekou Kone for the step up to Amorim’s squad, and speaking to Manchester Evening News he explained what the young midfielder is currently working on his “discipline” and “decision-making”.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sekou KONE🇲🇱 (@sekou_kone6)“I think the position he plays on the pitch requires a lot of discipline, and we’re working on that discipline and decision-making,” Binnion said.“He is a really good player, but you can see tonight he’s had three, four or five shots and it’s like, there aren’t too many No.6s who are getting into the areas he is.
“You don’t want to stifle that completely, but if he’s not in the right area of the pitch, then it’s harder for the team to function and it’s harder for him to develop, so he’s working really hard through training and language support.”Sekou Kone can be Casemiro’s heir at Man UnitedCasemiro is extremely experienced, but it is obvious he is in the twilight years of his career and the pace of Premier League football often proves too much for him.Back in February, it was revealed that Casemiro wants to stay at United until his contract expires next summer.
There have still been reports that Casemiro could be sold to Saudi Arabia if an offer arrives this summer, but the five-time Champions League winner could stay put at Old Trafford.His experience as a defensive midfielder will be invaluable to youngsters such as Kone, who could follow in his footsteps and eventually replace him in the first-team squad.Casemiro sticking around for one more year would give Kone time to learn under him and be ready for the following season after he has settled in and been integrated into the first-team squad.
READ MORE: Man United scout spotted watching Xavi-esque midfielder as Ineos look to repeat Sekou Kone trickKone’s first chance to impress Amorim will likely come in the 2025 post-season tour of Asia and the pre-season tour of the United States.The likes of Kobbie Mainoo and Harry Amass have both impressed in pre-season before working their way into the first-team squad..
