Manchester United are showing strong interest in Roma midfielder Manu Kone this summer, with Gian Piero Gasperini, the Roma manager, suggesting the club would not stand in the way of a potential transfer. This comes as United finalize a deal for Aston Villa’s Youri Tielemans, who will undergo a medical on Tuesday ahead of a £35m move triggered by director of football Jason Wilcox.
The pursuit of Kone represents a shift in United’s transfer strategy after initially walking away from deals for Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, and Elliot Anderson due to their high costs. The club, under new ownership from INEOS, are aiming to bring in three new midfielders this window and have already secured Brazilian Andrey Santos as the first signing of the Michael Carrick era.
Gasperini indicated that Roma may need to sell Kone for financial reasons, stating that balancing the books is crucial for the club despite their return to the Champions League. He highlighted Kone’s development, noting his improved fitness and ability to earn a starting spot with the French national team.
Roma reportedly turned down a €40m bid from Atlético Madrid for the 25-year-old, and are now seeking a fee of around €60m (£51m) for the 18-cap France international. Should United meet this valuation, their total spending on midfield reinforcements would reach approximately £136m.
Journalist David Ornstein has outlined the profile United are looking for in their third midfield addition, emphasizing the need for a player with “legs” – someone who can cover ground and complement the ball-playing abilities of Santos, Tielemans, and Kobbie Mainoo. He suggested Kone, along with Joao Gomes of Wolves and Aurélien Tchouameni of Real Madrid, would fit this criteria. United had previously been considering a move for Ederson, but have now made a final decision against pursuing the Atalanta midfielder.
