Liverpool linked with Manu Kone again - but data shows why Reds looked elsewhere

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In Serie A last season, Kone won a fairly average 50.5% of his duels (57th percentile) and 50.9% of his aerial duels (64th percentile).He also committed more fouls per 90 (1.72) than 78% of his midfield peers, and was dispossessed a troubling 1.32 times per 90 - more often than 86% of other Serie A midfielders.That last point could be partially explained by Kone's tendency to dribble forwards with the ball. He completed 1.06 dribbles per 90 in the league last season (85th percentile), more than double his rate for France at the World Cup and succeeded with 61.7% of those he attempted (83rd percentile).For France, though, despite playing a less active role in carrying the ball up the field, Kone still lost possession 0.93 times per 90 (41st percentile).Kone was also dribbled past 1.02 times per 90 in Serie A last season (22nd percentile), though this slightly improved for France at the World Cup (0.70 times per 90, 56th percentile).These traits, however, should be a red flag when considering his suitability for Liverpool and the Premier League.

With a new pressing structure in place, the hope will be that Liverpool's midfielders are less exposed next season, but a defensive midfielder in a pressing team should be expected to deal with the occasional situation in a game where they are left to defend space.Kone's struggles up against dribblers and his tendency to give away fouls suggest he wouldn't be suited to this role - though somehow getting away with just two yellow cards from 47 fouls in the league is definitely worthy of admiration.The positivesIn Kone's defence, there are plenty of traits to his game that help to explain why he was trusted so often why Didier Deschamps, and why big clubs across Europe are paying attention to his situation.The most interesting statistic about Kone is the number of passes he completes compared to his number of touches. Combined with his strong ball-carrying ability, Kone definitely fits the bill for an Iraola midfielder - at least in possession.Kone also won more fouls per 90 (1.94) than 84% of his positional peers last season, counter-balancing his tendency to lose possession somewhat.

If this were an ability he could reproduce in the Premier League, it may help him to cope with the increased pressure he would likely face as opposed to the more conservative off-the-ball tactics that are common in Italy.Kone is not a particularly creative midfielder - creating just 0.92 chances per 90 (47th percentile) - but Deschamps, himself the original 'water-carrier', understands better than most how valuable it can be to have a player in the team whose role is primarily to keep the side ticking.The verdictManu Kone is clearly a talented player and one who fulfils many of the requirements of a functional midfielder in a high-possession, high-pressing team.His first instinct is to keep the ball moving with one and two-touch passing, and he isn't afraid to dribble forwards with the ball when the game requires it.His knack for making ball recoveries is another indispensable trait in a team that plays on the front foot and tries to exhaust their opponents through constant waves of pressure.Kone has demonstrated his ability to defend on the front foot when playing in a more aggressive system for France, being a regular ball-winner high up the pitch, and his combativeness in the number of duels he attempts - persevering even when his side are second-best - is a testament to his positive attitude and work rate.However, Kone comes up short physically too often in his 50/50s. Though his height means he wins more aerial duels than he loses - again a valuable trait in a pressing side against whom opponents are likely to go long - his ground duel success rate is average at best for a defensive-minded player and is unlikely to earn him too many plaudits in an increasingly-physical Premier League.His tendency to get caught in possession and give away fouls is also a problem that would likely be exploited more damagingly in the Premier League, and at 25 there is less room for improvement than you may expect from a younger player.The most encouraging element to Kone's game is his ability to adapt it for a more attacking system as he has for France, and there are plenty of positives to suggest he could play a valuable squad role for Liverpool next season.Ultimately, though, Kone is not the fix-all solution for Liverpool.