Manchester United are preparing a move for Manu Kone and have included the Roma midfielder on their shortlist after being told he wants to test himself in the Premier League. significantlythat the Serie A team is willing to sell for the right price, TEAMtalk understands.
United have been looking for three new central midfielders this summer and have already secured deals for two of them, with Ederson joining from Atalanta and Andrei Santos joining from Chelsea in deals worth around £85 million.
This leaves Michael Carrick’s team with both the budget and the desire to acquire another midfielder before the transfer window closes.
We understand that Kone has now become a serious option.
Kone, who plays as a holding midfielder or box-to-box position, made 37 appearances for Roma in all competitions last season, scoring two goals and providing three assists.
The 25-year-old added to his growing reputation with an impressive campaign in France at the World Cup, where he once again demonstrated the athleticism and technical qualities that have attracted fans from across Europe.
United were hoping there would be an opportunity to move Aurélien Tchouameni, who remains one of the club’s targets.
However, as TEAMtalk exclusively revealed earlier this month, Jose Mourinho has decided Real Madrid will keep the midfielder, effectively ending hopes of a move for him this summer. Later it became known that Los Blancos were going to sign a new contract with the French star until 2031.
This forced United to continue to evaluate alternatives.
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Roma ready to accept £50m for Manchester United
The Red Devils previously considered signing Elliott Anderson, Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali before those deals fell through, while they are yet to make a major move 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 valued by United, but sources indicate that inflated valuations of Premier League talent have so far proved a stumbling block.
Real Madrid have also landed Eduardo Camavinga, but we understand United’s recruitment team are currently more intrigued by Kone’s profile.
In the meantime, the Roma are open to doing business.
Despite securing Champions League participation, the Italian side are believed to require player sales under UEFA financial rules, with Kone internally seen as their most valuable asset to sell.
Sources tell us the Frenchman could be available for a fee in the region of £50 million.
Intermediaries have already spoken to Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool as they continue to look for potential destinations.
During these discussions, clubs were informed that Kone was enthusiastic about the prospect of a move to England should the right opportunity arise.
Kone only joined Roma from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2024 in a deal worth under £20 million.
If Roma receive a fee around the £50 million mark, they will more than double their investment in just one season in Serie A.
For United, finances also make sense.
Having secured Ederson and Andrei Santos for a combined fee of less than £100m (both of whom will undergo medicals this week), Carrick’s side still have room in their transfer budget to bring in a third midfielder while continuing to work on signing a new versatile striker and left-back before the window closes.
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