FC Cincinnati announces loan deal for Swedish international Pa Konate from Serie A club SPAL

Charlie Hatch | chatch@enquirer.com

Show Caption Hide Caption FC Cincinnati introduces first MLS signings: Fanendo Adi and Fatai Alashe FC Cincinnati announces its latest pair of MLS signings at Nippert Stadium.

Futbol Club Cincinnati made its third summer signing Wednesday when it announced the arrival of Pa Konate on loan from SPAL, a club in Italy's Serie A.

He'll remain with FC Cincinnati through the 2018 United Soccer League season and there is an option to buy the player.

Though 24, Konate is one of Cincinnati's most-experienced additions to date and could be an impressive coup for the club if the loan move is successful.

Already a Swedish international with six national team caps, Konate made his professional debut with Malmö FF in 2013, one of the biggest clubs in the country. Between 2013-17, the left back made 56 appearances for the team. He also had a loan spell with Östers Idrottsförening during that time.

In 2017 he joined SPAL in Italy but failed to make a league appearance for the club and only has two appearances in Coppa Italia.

Joining FC Cincinnati means an opportunity for playing time he didn't receive at the Italian club. If the loan goes well, Cincinnati just signed a younger left back with Champions League experience who could potentially join the side in Major League Soccer in 2019.

"I have to come here to prove myself and show them I should start," Konate said. "That’s how it is. No one can tell you that you’re gonna start. You have to prove yourself."

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The defender said talks with head coach Alan Koch helped him agree to the loan. He also said he's impressed with FC Cincinnati's high attendance figures and the opportunity to join the USL club now, make an impact and potentially earn an MLS roster spot.

"I don’t feel like I’m that young," Konate said. "I’m 24. I’ve been playing a lot. I’ve been playing important games in high level so I don’t feel young in that kinda way."

Maybe not young for European teams, he's immediately one of Cincinnati's youngest players.

"Part of our strategy is to find players that have also been (undervalued) in their situation where a new coach has come in or the system of play has changed," FC Cincinnati technical director Luke Sassano said. "With Pa, we've been watching him a little bit.

"He hasn't played as much in Serie A, but we knew him from Malmö and playing in the Champions League. I always knew about him. I also have a couple close friends who recommended him."

Sassano suggested Konate is a signing for the present, meaning he's not a guarantee for the MLS team. On Monday, Cincinnati unveiled its first two MLS signings, forward Fanendo Adi and defensive midfielder Fatai Alashe in a press conference at Nippert Stadium.

How Konate fits into FC Cincinnati’s 2018 plans

The defender said he hasn’t been guaranteed anything, and that includes a starting spot. For someone who hasn’t played a league match since 2017 with Malmö, getting match-ready is the priority.

Eventually, Konate will compete with Blake Smith for the starting left back role.

Smith has been an integral part of FC Cincinnati’s current 10-game unbeaten spell in USL play. This season, he’s started in 18 of the team’s 21 league matches.

FC Cincinnati sits first in the USL Eastern Conference with 44 points, which is six ahead of second-place Charleston Battery.

There’s competition with Lance Laing as well, although the Jamaican fullback hasn’t played a league game since a 2-2 draw with Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on April 21. He did play vs. RCD Espanyol this past Saturday in Cincinnati’s international friendly, however.

"Pa is a very attack-minded full back," Sassano said. "He's played with the Swedish national team, he played at an Olympics before. He's had a lot of experience for the age of 24. He'll get forward.

"The best part about Pa for me is his mentality. He's coming here to compete. He knows he hasn't played much in the last year and he's taking a risk in his career to come to a new environment and an already-established winning culture."

What Koch said of Konate

"He's a great player," the coach said. "He wouldn’t have been signed by a Serie A team if he wasn’t a great player. He obviously had limited playing time there and I think this is a great opportunity for him and a great opportunity for us to look at him and see how he comes in and works with our group."

FC Cincinnati's second-year coach also said he can join the club in MLS if he proves himself.

"To be honest, he could be a player who could, if he seizes the opportunity, be with us for a long, long time," Koch said. "That’s why it’s exciting to see how he responds the next few weeks."