Ismaël Koné: The Ivorian Turned Canadian Sensation
Image Credit: Jannik Skorna
Player Name: Ismaël Koné
Age: 20
Height: 1,88m (6 ft, 2 in)
Nationality: Canada 🇨🇦
Position: Central Midfield
Club: Watford FC 🏴
Market Value: €10m
Biography
Born on June 16, 2022, in Côte d’Ivoire’s capital Abidjan, Ismaël Koné found his path to professional soccer across the Atlantic in Montréal, Canada, where his family moved when he was only seven years old. He began playing youth soccer with AS Notre-Dame-de-Grâce Panthers, located in a populous neighbourhood in the metropolis. He later joined C. S. Saint-Laurent, another local club. Here, he won the 2019 Canadian Under-17 Championship, consequently earning him trials with Belgian clubs Genk and Mouscron. Despite a successful stint at Mouscron, the Belgian club did not have the funds available to sign a non-European player.
Then, the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the world, prompting Koné to return to Canada. There, he trained with CF Montréal U23 (CF Montréal reserves), consequently earning him an invite to the first team’s training camp in 2021. Following “several technicalities in MLS rules”, the young Ivorian-Canadian signed a two-year contract with two option years with CF Montréal on August 13, 2021. However, bad luck hit the young talent once more as he suffered from a knee injury, which ruled him out for the remainder of the 2021 MLS season. Koné then utilized the off-season to train with FC Bologna, Montréal’s sister club in the Italian Serie A.
A Rookie Year to Remember
The cold evening of February 23, 2022 will be a night to remember for the young talent (I can confirm this. I was in the same building). Prior to the start of the 2022 MLS regular season, the Montréal-based club faced Liga MX’s Santos Laguna in the 2022 edition of the CONCACAF Champions League. Following a 1-0 loss to their Mexican foes in Torreón during the first leg last week, CFM came back roaring, scoring two first half goals and take the 2-1 aggregate advantage heading into the final 45. For Koné, this match meant a first professional appearance and start. While the match went as usual for a rookie—cautious playing and a handful of turnovers and a key scoring chance—the 61st minute erased all of the pressure exerted onto him and the club. Upon receiving a brilliant pass to the centre of the 18-yard-box by then-teammate Djordje Mihailović, Koné extended Montréal’s lead by a score of 3-0 (3-1 on aggregate) and sealed their qualification to the quarterfinals.
As the season progressed, Koné remained a reliable dynamo in the midfield, scoring two goals and adding five assists. His stellar performances were indicative of CF Montréal’s historic season, where they finished with 65 points, including a league-best 20 wins. In the MLS Cup Playoffs, Koné scored a crucial opening goal against Orlando in the first round, where they disposed of their opponents with a 2-0 score line.
His series of masterful performances ultimately earned him several call-ups to the Canadian national team, including a call-up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar following the season’s end. He featured in all three of Canada’s group stage matches and also scored a goal against Bahrain in one of their exhibition games before the tournament’s start. At the end of the year, Koné earned the men’s 2022 Canada Soccer Young Player of the Year. Despite garnering significant interest from EFL Championship clubs Norwich City and Sheffield United, his successful rookie campaign ultimately earned him a move to Watford FC for a fee of €8 million, a club record for Montréal and becoming the most expensive purchase of a Canadian or American player in January.
Player Profile
Koné plays as a highly energetic box-to-box central midfielder. In 2022, he stood out for both his passing and possession skills upon transition from defence to offence. His few goals also demonstrated his capabilities in playing and finding chances in the final third. The young Ivorian-Canadian proved to be the ideal midfielder for any club. While Montréal’s top central midfielders (e.g., Djordje Mihailović, Victor Wanyama, Samuel Piette) were designated to excel either on offence or defence, Koné proved to be the most complete player. He possessed great abilities to defend and maintain possession in the defensive half, while also having a significant role in producing and executing key scoring chances.
Koné also demonstrated his shooting abilities after firing a curling finesse shot passed American prodigy Gaga Slonina versus Chicago in August, winning the match 2-0. His mixture of dribbling, passing, and shooting ultimately constitute the ideal combination for a box-to-box midfielder. A move to the EFL Championship is a perfect path for him to maintain that physical game and improve his skills to take his talents to the next level, ideally promotion to the Premier League.
Rising Value
Evidently, CF Montréal signed him for free as a homegrown product playing within Montréal’s local youth leagues. However, his value rapidly ascended throughout the calendar year. Transfermakt indicates that he entered 2022 with a value of €50,000 (see chart). By the end of March – one month into the season and after earning his first two international caps – that figure climbed to €1 million. When the club announced Koné’s transfer to Europe, his value climbed to €6 million. His fee, above market value at €8m million, is indicative of his talent and the high demand for a young player playing at such a high calibre.
Since arriving at Watford and as of writing, Koné grazed the pitch on five occasions, playing a total of 209 minutes in league games and 90 minutes in an FA Cup match. So far, his performances have not been anything outstanding where he would already generate high interest. Nevertheless, Koné displayed decent performances for a twenty-year-old entering a physical league and having never played professionally in Europe.
If Watford manager Slaven Bilić continues to play him at this rate and he maintains or improves his game, Koné value could quite possibly climb up to somewhere within €10–12 million. Another factor that could aid in increasing his value is an international call-up in March for their CONCACAF Nations League matches versus Curaçao and Honduras.
A Bright Future
Given his rapid rise to stardom and being seemingly unfazed by any pressure at the professional level, Koné has the potential to be a perennial starter in the European top five leagues. Depending on Watford’s performance this season, we could already witness Koné obtain minutes in the Premier League as early as August. His style of play and work ethic also enables him to be the type of player where, if properly developed, can adapt and excel in any league, even amid physicality of the Premier League.
However, given his age (20) and his rapid ascension to European football (many thought he would stay at least one more season in Montréal), it would be rather wise to give Koné some time to adapt to European football by providing him minutes in a less pressurized environment. Watford is indeed an ideal environment, despite the intensity of English supporters. However, if Watford gains promotion to the Premier League, loaning Koné to a club in the Championship or another European league would be incredibly beneficial for his development. As for Watford, keeping Koné could be an asset. However, if he has difficulty easing into the Premier League, they could stall or even put a dent into his development. If he goes on loan and develops his game and prepares himself for the Premier League, Watford will have an additional incentive to fight and remain in the Premier League for the 2024–2025 season.
If Watford were to remain in the Championship, Koné loses nothing by staying with the club. If both parties feel compelled to a loan transfer, his development can nevertheless improve, and it could be beneficial for all three parties.
Bottom line, Ismaël Koné is an incredibly talented player who just got started literally less than a year ago. He still has ample room for improvement and is very far from reaching his ceiling. As we say in the world of sports, this kid’s special.
