Serie A side Sassuolo announced on Monday that it had exercised the clause in its loan deal with Marseille to make the signing of Ismaël Koné permanent.
The 23-year-old Canada midfielder has four goals in 20 league appearances this season.
Ismael Konè acquisito a titolo definitivo dall'Olympique Marsiglia 🖤💚https://t.co/EgphYPCch4
— U.S. Sassuolo (@SassuoloUS) February 2, 2026
Fabrizio Romano reports the transfer is worth €13 million.
🚨🇨🇦 Sassuolo activate immediate buy option clause for Ismael Kone turning deal into permanent.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 2, 2026
Olympique Marseille receive €13m total fee for Kone.
Follows excellent performances in Serie A for Canada international midfielder. pic.twitter.com/Y0N7yBo8tQ
A product of the CF Montreal academy, Koné made his senior debut for the team in early 2022. After his first Major League Soccer season, Koné made the move to Europe with Championship side Watford following the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Koné would spend 18 months in England before heading to Ligue 1.
Marseille brought Koné to France in a £15 million move in the summer of 2024. But the transfer wasn’t a smooth one. Koné quickly came to loggerheads with manager Roberto De Zerbi, including an infamous bust-up during a training session that was caught by team cameras, and the player was loaned out to Rennes that January after only eight appearances.
With the relationship between player and manager seemingly untenable, Koné joined the promoted Sassuolo on loan. Koné has made 21 appearances across all competitions and scored in Saturday’s 3-1 win over Pisa.
Internationally, Koné has been capped 37 times by Canada since his senior debut in 2022. He has four goals in a Canada shirt, including a goal in the third-place match against Uruguay in the 2024 Copa America.
