Manchester United are plotting a move for Manu Kone and have added the Roma midfielder to their shortlist after being informed he is keen to test himself in the Premier League, and significantly, that the Serie A side are willing to sell for the right price, TEAMtalk understands.
United have been searching for three new central midfielders this summer and already have agreements in place for two of them, with Ederson arriving from Atalanta and Andrey Santos joining from Chelsea in deals worth a combined fee of around £85million.
That leaves Michael Carrick’s side with both the budget and the desire to recruit one more midfielder before the transfer window closes.
We understand Kone has now emerged as a serious option.
Kone, who plays as a defensive midfielder or in a box-to-box role, made 37 appearances across all competitions for Roma last season, notching two goals and three assists.
The 25-year-old has enhanced his growing reputation with an impressive World Cup campaign for France, where he’s once again demonstrated the athleticism and technical quality that have attracted admirers from across Europe.
United had hoped there may be an opportunity to move for Aurelien Tchouameni, who remains one of the club’s dream targets.
However, as TEAMtalk exclusively revealed earlier this month, Jose Mourinho has decided Real Madrid will retain the midfielder, effectively ending hopes of a move this summer. It has since been revealed that Los Blancos are set to hand the France star a new deal through to 2031.
That has forced United to continue assessing alternatives.
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Roma willing to accept £50m for Man Utd target
The Red Devils previously explored moves for Elliot Anderson, Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali before those deals slipped away, while they have yet to make a serious push for Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimaraes.
Brighton’s Carlos Baleba, Bournemouth’s Alex Scott, Bournemouth’s Tyler Adams and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton all remain players United appreciate, but sources indicate the inflated valuations attached to Premier League talent have so far proved a stumbling block.
Real Madrid have also made Eduardo Camavinga available, but we understand United’s recruitment team are currently more intrigued by Kone’s profile.
Roma, meanwhile, are open to doing business.
Despite securing Champions League football, the Italian side are understood to require player sales to meet UEFA’s financial regulations, with Kone viewed internally as their most valuable saleable asset.
Sources have told us the Frenchman could be available for a fee in the region of £50million.
Intermediaries have already spoken to Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool as they continue sounding out potential destinations.
During those discussions, clubs have been informed that Kone is enthusiastic about the prospect of moving to England should the right opportunity present itself.
Kone only joined Roma from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2024 in a deal worth under £20million.
Should Roma secure a fee around the £50million mark, they would more than double their investment after just one season in Serie A.
For United, the finances also make sense.
Having secured Ederson and Andrey Santos for less than £100million combined – both whom will undergo their medicals this week – Carrick’s side still have room within their transfer budget to recruit a third midfielder while continuing work on signing a new versatile forward and a left-back before the window closes.
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