Manchester United have made a move to win the race to sign Roma’s Manu Kone – Arsenal also eyeing French midfielder
Manu Khorne’s performance at the World Cup could lead to a move to the Premier League
Manchester United have made the first move, opening formal talks with Roma to sign French midfielder Manu Kone, worth €60m (about £51m).
United face competition from Arsenal and Liverpool, but L’Equipe reports that they appear to have taken the initiative and stole the march from their English opponents.
The midfielder proved to be a big hit at the World Cup, putting many clubs on alert. He succeeded in removing Aurélien Choameny from the first team, but suffered a major failure in the semi-final against Spain, when France lost.
Even though Roma have qualified for the Champions League, they still need to release players, and Kone was always the most likely to bring in a hefty sum, with his performances leading to an increase in his price tag. The Italians also believed that United backed out of Atalanta’s Ederson contract because they had identified a new target.
The 25-year-old’s performances have earned him praise from some of the world’s best players, including compatriot and World Cup winner Patrick Vieira. Referring to the midfielder during the tournament, he said on ITV: “He had a really good season in Serie A with Roma. He came to the World Cup after a few injuries.
“For me today he is the best midfielder in France. I would put him above Chauameni and Rabiot because he is mobile, aggressive, a ball winner, has the technical ability to be part of the build-up and has the ability to break lines with the ball and move forward.”
Roma are in a position where they need to sell
United have made strengthening their midfield a priority this summer and, although they have already brought in Youri Tielemans and Andrej Santos, they want to add more quality players to the center of the pitch. Two signings cost £85m, but it looks like they are willing to spend more.
Kone would be well paid for £100m and he would be their first addition from outside the Premier League, with the club currently eyeing rivals before considering overseas signings.
Arsenal have been linked with Kone, but they have also been linked with Bruno Guimarães, who has reportedly announced his intention to leave Newcastle for the newly crowned champions.
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