Manchester United and Chelsea are battling over a deal to sign French international defensive midfielder Manu Koné from AS Roma this summer, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Koné’s journey through academy football began at AC Boulogne-Billancourt in July 2015, having joined the club as a 14-year-old. His ability quickly caught Toulouse’s attention, and they brought the midfielder into their youth setup just 12 months later.
The Frenchman went on to make 59 senior appearances for Le Téfécé before Borussia Mönchengladbach made his stay permanent after an impressive two-year loan spell.
It was in Germany that Koné’s stock really began to rise, with his performances establishing him as one of Europe’s most promising midfielders before Roma secured his signature in the summer of 2024.
Across all competitions last season, he featured 37 times, and his consistency earned him a place in Didier Deschamps’ 26-man France squad for the recently concluded World Cup, where his performances attracted considerable attention.
Now, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Koné looked likely to leave the Stadio Olimpico due to financial fair play concerns, putting him on the radar of several clubs.
Battle
Among the clubs looking to sign Koné are Chelsea and Man Utd, according to the Italian outlet, which claims that the Premier League duo have expressed interest in signing the 6ft 1in midfielder.
Having already rebuffed a £36m bid from Atletico Madrid, Roma value the French international highly and have set a £42m valuation on the 25-year-old, with United and Chelsea, as well as clubs in Saudi Arabia, now set to battle for his signature, according to the report.
Primarily a defensive midfielder, Koné can also play box-to-box, and his progressive style, combined with the ground he covers through sheer athleticism, would add more intensity to either Michael Carrick’s or Xabi Alonso’s midfield.
Described as ‘extraordinary’ by Koné’s former coach at Toulouse B, Jean-Christophe Debu, the midfield ace also offers a high technical level and confidence on the ball, having completed an outstanding 90.4% passing success rate in the 2025-26 Serie A season.
He also averaged 5.67 duels won and 4.65 recoveries per match last season, underlining his ability to contribute defensively as well as in possession.
Koné’s qualities suggest he would be an ideal fit for both United and Chelsea, so it’ll be interesting to see which of the English giants will meet Roma’s £42m valuation.
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