Manchester United and Chelsea have a fervent need to sign an effective box-to-box midfielder this summer and want Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund, but Fabrizio Romano says the Premier League duo are battling Paris Saint-Germain for Borussia Monchengladbach’s Manu Kone.
The 21-year-old joined Die Fohlen from Toulouse in 2021 and has gone on to make 54 appearances in all competitions, scoring four goals with two assists. Kone has been a regular under Daniel Farke this season, starting 24 of their 25 Bundesliga outings, so he’s indispensable at Borussia-Park.
Kone is first in the squad for tackles per game (2.6), fourth for interceptions per game (1), first for successful dribbles per game (2), first for fouls won per game (2.3), and fifth for chances created per game (0.7).
The French U21 international is a talented box-to-box player who can turn over the ball and drive from deep in possession. But Gladbach are 10th in the Bundesliga this season, so Kone might feel the grass is greener elsewhere. It’s hard to see him turning down a move to Man Utd, Chelsea or PSG.
As for United, the Red Devils are overstocked in midfield with Casemiro, Fred, Marcel Sabitzer, Scott McTominay, Donny van de Beek, Kobbie Mainoo, Christian Eriksen and Zidane Iqbal, but it’s likely only a few of those players will be regulars next season.
Sabitzer is on loan and will return to his parent club at the end of the season, McTominay doesn’t command a starting place and could be sold this summer, Van de Beek has been short of playing time and is surplus to requirements, Mainoo is only 17 and won’t be a regular in 2023/24, and Iqbal is another young and inexperienced player.
Chelsea also aren’t short of options in midfield either with N’Golo Kanté, Denis Zakaria, Enzo Fernández, Mateo Kovacic, Conor Gallagher, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Mason Mount and Carney Chukwuemeka. However, Kante has spent the season injured, Gallagher isn’t a regular starter, Loftus-Cheek has been a makeshift wing-back, Mount could be on his way out this summer and Chukwuemeka has been short of playing time.
Both clubs could do with a midfielder like Kone and Romano says his asking price is at least €50m (£44m), but it remains to be seen where he will end up when the transfer window opens. He’s a Frenchman, so might PSG appeal to him?
