CF Montreal and Canada midfielder Ismael Kone heading to England: report
The day after Alistair Johnston's transfer to Scottish Premier League giant Celtic FC was announced, CF Montreal midfielder Ismael Kone is reportedly heading to the EFL Championship club Watford FC.
Italian sports journalist Fabrizio Romano tweeted that the 20-year-old Montreal product is set to head to the Hornets for a "record transfer fee."
"Canadian gem Ismael Kone is set to join Watford, here we go," Romano wrote, adding that a long-term contract will be signed in the next few days.
The EFL Championship League is one below the English Premier League. Watford is currently fourth in the table, and was last in the Premier League in the 2021-22 season.
Romano said Watford and Serie A club Udinese have a plan to develop up-and-coming talent, and Kone is considered the next one.
Rumours swirled around Kone being targeted by clubs in Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands.
Kone was part of CF Montreal's record-breaking season in 2022, playing 26 games where he scored twice and added two assists. He's scored one goal for Canada internationally and featured on the recent World Cup squad.
Neither Watford nor CF Montreal have confirmed the report.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Radioactive capsule that fell off truck found in Australia
Authorities in Western Australia on Wednesday recovered a tiny but dangerous radioactive capsule that fell off a truck while being transported along a 1,400-kilometer (870-mile) Outback highway last month in what an official said was like finding the needle in the haystack.

Systemic inequities are putting women's health and lives at risk: Heart and Stroke report
A new report from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada is highlighting 'significant inequities' in women's health care that is disproportionately affecting racialized and Indigenous women, members of the LGBTQ2S+ community and those living with low socioeconomic status.
'Legitimately flabbergasting': MP raises concerns over government's quarantine hotel spending
Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner is raising concerns over the federal government's spending on so-called COVID-19 quarantine hotels, calling the total spent on a Calgary-area hotel in 2022 'legitimately flabbergasting.'
Oregon kidnapping suspect dies of self-inflicted gunshot
A suspect in a violent kidnapping in Oregon died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound Tuesday night after being taken into custody following a standoff with law enforcement, a police spokesman said.
Andrew Tate to appeal second 30-day detention
Andrew Tate, the divisive influencer and former professional kickboxer who is detained in Romania on suspicion of organized crime and human trafficking appeared at a court in Bucharest on Wednesday to appeal against a second 30-day extension of his detention.
Discovery in Canadian lab could help laptop, phone and car batteries last longer
A chance discovery in a Canadian laboratory could help extend the life of laptop, phone and electric car batteries.
Jeopardy! dedicates entire category to Ontario but one question stumps every contestant
Jeopardy! turned the spotlight on Ontario on Monday night with a category entirely dedicated to the province. One question stumped every contestant.
5 things to know for Wednesday, February 1, 2023
The backlog of airline complaints to the Canadian Transportation Agency since December's travel chaos balloons by thousands, a Conservative MP raises concerns over the government's quarantine hotel spending, and a Toronto man raises money for charity after spending 24 hours in a diner due to a lost bet. Here's what you need to know to start your day.
Woman detained in Syria says Ottawa is forcing her to make agonizing choice in order to get her kids to Canada
A woman held in a detention camp in Syria, along with her three Canadian children, says the federal government is forcing her to make an agonizing choice: relinquish custody of her kids so they can be repatriated to Canada, or keep them in the camp where the conditions are dire. Her children are eligible for repatriation but she is not a Canadian citizen.