Whenever Manu Kone steps on the pitch, Jurgen Klopp feels the chills going down his spine

Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Kouadio 'Manu' Kone is finally back from injury - and back on Liverpool's radar. The former Toulouse youngster is far from being in his top form but has a lot to look forward to.

The 22-year-old star of Ivorian descent made his first appearance of the season against Leipzig and showed glimpses of his vast talent and physical ability. The Frenchman was prominently featured on Liverpool's list of desired players, closely monitored by the club's scouts on multiple occasions. Jurgen Klopp had a keen interest in him as Liverpool urgently sought to strengthen their midfield during the last transfer window after the departures of James Milner, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jordan Henderson and Fabinho.

However, any attempt to acquire Kone halted when the Borussia Monchengladbach player suffered a knee injury while representing France at the Under-21 Euros. Additionally, his current club set an asking price of over $40 million that was beyond Liverpool's budget, forcing the club to shift their focus to other potential signings. As a result, Liverpool ultimately went looking elsewhere and secured the services of Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, and Wataru Endo, with the late addition of Ryan Gravenberch from Bayern. However, Gladbach would sell Kone for less than $30 million - and Klopp might revisit his plans.

In the meantime, the Parisian-born lad is pleased to have made his comeback last weekend and faces a road to full match fitness.

"It was okay, but I know I'm not at 100 per cent yet. It was a bit difficult for me at the beginning of the game. But as the match went on, I improved, and luckily, I was able to find my second wind."

It's evident that there's still room for improvement for Kone. He was out for almost three months after the knee injury he suffered at the end of June during the U-21 European Championship. The right-footed midfielder missed the entire pre-season and couldn't play in any summer friendlies, yet he already showed his significant value to the team against RB Leipzig.

"That's hard to say when I will reach full fitness. I don't think I've lost much regarding technical and playing abilities. What's lacking is more in terms of power and agility. But I'll do everything in strength training and during practice sessions on the field to regain my usual form as quickly as possible so I can get back to my best."

With just two points from the first five matchdays, Borussia Monchengladbach has had a traditionally poor start to the season. However, Kone says the performance against Leipzig was a step in the right direction. Next up, they aim for their first victory of the 2023/24 season when they travel to Bochum.

"There's always an exceptional atmosphere there. The Bochum fans are fantastic and bring much energy into the stadium. It feels like they're playing their home games with twelve players. We'll have to run a lot and win the duels. To beat them, you have to be hungrier than they are. We've done a lot of video analysis this week and are preparing well for the opponent in training. We are ready and will do everything to defeat Bochum."