Sekou Kone training with Swiss team

Manchester United’s youth system continues to produce talent, with several youngsters catching the eye of top clubs across Europe.

The Red Devils are juggling first-team opportunities with player development as the January transfer window heats up, ensuring promising players get the minutes they need to progress.

Clubs across the Swiss Super League, Bundesliga, and English Championship have been keeping tabs on United’s emerging stars, particularly those who can make an immediate impact.

This approach has allowed United to maintain strong links with teams like Lausanne-Sport, who have previously taken academy players on loan.

The club is also managing recovery timelines for players returning from injury, balancing fitness with the need for competitive game time.

19-year-old Sekou Kone will be potentially heading out on loan to Lausanne-Sport later this month, as CentreDevils exclusively revealed.

According to Manchester World, the midfielder has already spent time with the Ineos-owned Swiss side, featuring in a friendly match on Thursday, though United sources stress he is not on trial.

Instead, the period is being described as exploratory to see if a loan move would benefit both Sekou Kone and Lausanne for the remainder of the season.

United already have strong ties with the Swiss Super League outfit, having sent striker Enzo Kana-Biyik on loan earlier this season, and the relationship appears to be helping facilitate Kone’s potential move.

Kone was scheduled to depart last summer, with Lausanne-Sport the favourites to secure his signature, but remained at United after impressing then-head coach Ruben Amorim and being considered for first-team opportunities.

A fractured eye socket in August sidelined him for over two months, delaying what could have been his competitive debut this season.

Having returned to full fitness in November, he has made several appearances and is now looking to make up for lost time with consistent minutes on loan.

Signed from Malian side Guidars FC in the 2024 summer window for an initial fee of around £1.2 million plus performance-related add-ons, Kone had already been named on the first-team bench three times last season for Premier League away matches against Tottenham, Everton, and Nottingham Forest.

United are now exploring the best way to continue his development while ensuring he gains the experience needed to step up at Old Trafford in the future.