Borussia Monchengladbach have reportedly activated an extension in the contract of Liverpool-linked midfielder Manu Kone.
The 22-year-old is thought to have attracted the interest of several top European teams since making a name for himself in Germany, having arrived from Toulouse in January 2021.
Monchengladbach only paid €9m (£7.8m) to bring Kone to the Bundesliga, although he rejoined Toulouse on loan for the remainder of the 2020-21 season before being integrated into the first team.
Filling the void left by Denis Zakaria's exit to Juventus, Kone has registered four goals and two assists in 62 appearances for Monchengladbach, starting 30 Bundesliga matches in the 2022-23 season.
The France Under-21 international - who is comfortable as a number eight or deep-lying midfielder - has only managed two outings so far this season, though, having been plagued by a knee injury over the summer.
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The 6ft 1in midfielder sustained his issue while representing France at this year's Under-21 Euros, where he featured in every group-stage game but was forced to sit out their quarter-final loss to Ukraine.
Kone is yet to earn his maiden senior France cap under Didier Deschamps, but the 22-year-old is unlikely to be too far away from a Bleus breakthrough should he continue performing in the same vein.
Liverpool were tipped to bring Kone to Anfield as part of their summer midfield reshuffle, while Bayern Munich and Juventus are also believed to be keeping a close eye on his progress.
However, 90min reports that Monchengladbach have triggered an extension in the Frenchman's contract, and he is now tied down to the German outfit until the end of the 2025-26 campaign.
Kone's extension is unlikely to deter his suitors, who could have been quoted as little as £30m to prise him away from the Bundesliga this summer, but they can no longer dream of a cut-price deal.
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Despite links with the 22-year-old, Liverpool eventually splashed the cash on Wataru Endo, Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch, having conceded defeat to Real Madrid in the race for Jude Bellingham.
More midfielders could arrive next summer, though, as Thiago Alcantara's contract expires in 2024, and sporting director Jorg Schmadtke should continue to scope out German-based targets given his Bundesliga connections.
Meanwhile, Juventus have lost two midfield fulcrums to off-field misdemeanours, as Paul Pogba could be banned for up to four years after testing positive for non-endogenous testosterone.
In addition, Italy international Nicolo Fagioli is one of a handful of players to have become embroiled in a betting scandal, and he has been suspended for seven months after admitting to gambling on illegal platforms.
Azzurri teammates Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Zaniolo withdrew from Italy duty this month for the same reason, and the former is also at risk of a lengthy sanction, having apparently admitted to betting on AC Milan to win matches while playing for the club.
Ben Knapton
