After not getting much first-team action with Marseille, Canadian midfielder Ismael Kone is set for a move to Italy.
Recently promoted Italian club Sassuolo made a move for the Canadian international, agreeing to a €2.5 million ($4 million CAD) loan deal from Marseille, The Athletic‘s Joshua Kloke reported Saturday.
According to European soccer journalists Santi Aouna and Sébastien Denis, the deal comes with a €10 million ($16 million CAD) obligation to buy if Sassuolo remains in Serie A after this season. Marseille would also receive a sell-on percentage should Sassuolo choose to transfer him in the future.
Kone, 23, spent last season in Ligue 1, playing nine games for Marseille before being sent out on loan to Stade Rennais in February and playing 13 more games. He finished with two goals and one assist, all of which came with Stade Rennais.
The midfielder joined Marseille ahead of the 2024-25 season from Watford for a €12 million transfer fee but dealt with ankle injuries in the early part of the season and was unable to find a consistent spot in Roberto De Zerbi’s first-team squad.
De Zerbi openly criticized Kone midway through the season, saying that “he has not shown me that he is able to be a part of this project,” as Marseille contended for a top spot in the league table.
Sassuolo, meanwhile, won Serie B last season and earned a spot back in Serie A following a demotion at the end of the 2023-24 season. It had previously enjoyed an 11-year stay in Italy’s top flight.
