Manchester United’s midfield rebuild is underway, but one of the club’s most promising academy talents won’t be part of it. Not yet, anyway.
Sekou Kone, the 20-year-old Mali international signed in 2024, is expected to spend another season on loan at Lausanne Sport, United’s sister club in Switzerland. According to reports, Kone has already started preseason training with the Swiss side and played the second half of a 1-0 friendly win over Étoile this week.
That’s a quiet detour for a player who was once called “unplayable” at the youth level.
The injury that stalled everything
Kone arrived at Old Trafford with real buzz around his name. He was one of the top young midfield talents in the world at the time, and United beat out several European clubs to land him. His first season was about adaptation — learning English football, getting minutes with the academy, and showing flashes of why the club invested in him. And for a while, it worked. He looked dominant at the U21 level.
Then came the collision against Tamworth earlier this season. A fractured eye socket sidelined him for months. By the time he was healthy, his development arc had been disrupted. INEOS tried to get him back on track by sending him to Lausanne in the second half of last season, but it didn’t click. He barely played.
That loan was supposed to be a springboard. Instead, it was mostly a wasted half-season for a kid who needs reps.
What this means for United’s midfield
United’s midfield depth has taken a hit. Casemiro is gone. Manuel Ugarte picked up a long-term injury at the World Cup with Uruguay. The club is closing in on a deal for Ederson, who’s scheduled for his medical this week. But beyond that, things are murky.
The club has been linked with bigger names like Alex Scott and Aurélien Tchouaméni, but those deals aren’t close. If United can’t land a marquee name, they might have to look internally for a third midfield option — which makes Kone’s situation even more frustrating.
This was supposed to be the summer where Kone pushed for first-team minutes. Instead, he’ll likely spend another year in Switzerland, hoping that full preseason with Lausanne finally gets him right.
Meanwhile, other academy kids like Jim Thwaites and Tyler Fletcher will get their shot in United’s preseason camp. That’s the way it goes sometimes. One player’s setback is another’s opening.
For Kone, the talent is still there. The question is whether the opportunity will be, too.
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