Cote d’Ivoire-born Ismaël Koné set to leave Olympique Marseille

Ismaël Koné, who joined Olympique de Marseille last summer, is facing an exit from the club as confirmed by manager Roberto De Zerbi.

The 22-year-old Canadian international, born in Cote d’Ivoire, arrived at Marseille for a fee of €12 million from Watford, following an impressive stint in the EFL Championship.

However, his season has been marred by injuries, and he has struggled to meet the performance expectations required to earn regular playing time in Ligue 1.

De Zerbi was candid about Koné’s situation during a press conference, stating that the decision to let the young midfielder leave this January has already been made.

“Koné’s departure is our choice. We know the team that we want, but he is a nice boy,” De Zerbi remarked.

He further explained that Koné has not demonstrated sufficient capability to fit into the team’s plans, stating, “I play those that deserve to play.”

As Marseille prepares to face OGC Nice on Sunday night, Koné’s absence from training suggests that his departure is imminent.

The young midfielder has only made nine appearances across all competitions this season, with just three of those being starts.