Report: Rising Canadian star Kone to join Watford in record sale for Montreal

Ismael Kone is getting his big move after the World Cup.

The Canadian international midfielder, 20, is set to join English Championship club Watford, reports transfer insider Fabrizio Romano. CF Montreal will net a club-record fee from the deal, Romano adds.

The MLS team’s previous record sale is the reported $6 million that Dutch side AZ Alkmaar paid to acquire Djordje Mihailovic. That move will be made official in January.

Kone, expected to sign a long-term contract with Watford in the coming days, also had offers from Italian, German, and Dutch clubs, according to Romano. The Canadian nearly joined Sheffield United this past summer, too.

The plan for Kone involves a move to Udinese in Serie A in the near future, Romano adds. Watford owner Gino Pozzo’s father, Giampaolo, owns the Italian club. The two teams have benefitted from a symbiotic transfer relationship over the years, with numerous players switching between the Pozzo-owned entities.

Kone enjoyed a meteoric rise in 2022.

He developed into a key contributor for Montreal in just his first MLS campaign, making 26 regular-season appearances and scoring once in the playoffs. He made his debut for Canada in March and featured in all three matches for John Herdman’s team at the World Cup in Qatar.

Kone’s expected move comes one day after fellow Canadian international Alistair Johnston completed a transfer of his own from Montreal, joining reigning Scottish champions Celtic.