Manchester United sign highly-rated teenage midfielder in £1.2m coup

The Red Devils have acquired the services of Sekou Kone, agreeing a fee of £1.2m with his parent club Guidars FC. Kone will spend time with Manchester United’s under-21s before presumably graduating to the first team in the coming years.

The 18-year-old is considered to be one of the biggest prospects in African football, with some even dubbing him the next Yaya Toure. Representing Mali at the under-17 World Cup, Kone caught the eyes of scouts across the world with his physical presence and technical ability. Despite not bagging any goals, he did get two assists during the tournament.

TalkSport has reported that the £1.2m transfer fee does not include add-ons, which could bring the total received by Guidars up a fair amount. It is unknown whether there is also a sell-on clause, which would benefit the African club if Kone eventually moved onto ventures.

As a youngster, Kone trained at Mali’s JMG Academy, which has churned out Premier League stars such as Yves Bissouma, Gervinho and Yaya Toure himself.

Manchester United faced stiff competition for Kone’s servies, with the likes of Crystal Palace, Red Bull Salzburg and Wolves all keen to secure his signature. United fans will have to wait to see his true potential, but at face value it seems a promising signing.