‘Liverpool like him’ – Top-tier journalist hints at potential 2027 Reds swoop for World Cup star
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David Ornstein has named one star of the 2026 World Cup as a player who Liverpool ‘like’ and in whom they may have ‘interest’ in a potential transfer next year.France reached the semi-finals with a star-studded line-up featuring household names such as Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise, although one of their most impressive players at the tournament was Manu Kone.The Roma midfielder won widespread praise for his performances in North America over the summer and was first linked with the Reds in 2023 when he was playing with Borussia Monchengladbach.Ornstein: Liverpool like Manu KoneIn a Q&A for The Athletic, Ornstein was asked about transfer rumours from this summer which didn’t materialise but could viably be revisited in January.The journalist mentioned that Manu Kone ‘came very close to joining Chelsea’ before the Blues turned their attention to Lamine Camara, adding that ‘Liverpool like him as well as one of their potential future options’.In response to a question about players in whom the Reds may be interested, he wrote: ‘I think there’s interest in Kone of Roma, and they’ll have other options as well.’(Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images)Want more Empire of the Kop coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trustCould Kone be just what Liverpool need in midfield?Liverpool would need to sell players before they bring in another non-homegrown option (they’ve filled their maximum permissible quota of 17), but they do have scope in their squad for a defensive-minded midfielder who’s proven at a high level and would represent a long-term solution.Kone has ample experience of playing in the number 6 role and could be a viable candidate to become the Reds’ shield in the middle of the park, although it’d be disingenuous to typecast him as a pure destroyer.As the figures below from Fotmob illustrate, the 25-year-old excels with his use of the ball and is rarely wasteful in possession.
2025/26 Serie A Per 90 minutes Percentile among positional peers Dribbles completed 1.06 85th (top 15%) Dribble success 61.7% 83rd Passes completed 45.35 81st Passing success 90.4% 92nd Duels won 5.67 75th Long pass accuracy 59.3% 74th With Kone ‘minding the house’ at the base of midfield, that would give Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai more scope to get forward, albeit with an understanding that winning back possession is a team effort.The French midfielder has started every game for Roma so far this season with the Giallorossi sitting top of Serie A with a 100% record. Should he and his team continue in the same vein, expect Premier League interest to ramp up substantially once the January transfer window draws near.