Arsenal agree personal terms with £43m Roma midfielder Manu Kone as Fernandes pursuit cools

Arsenal have agreed personal terms with Roma midfielder Manu Kone and are now working to finalise a fee with the Italian club, according to Corriere della Sera, with the deal expected to be completed after the World Cup.

Roma are asking £43 million for the 23-year-old, though the report suggests they may accept closer to £39 million (€45m) given the club’s need to raise funds before the end of the month. Arsenal held discussions with Kone’s representatives and established personal terms ahead of a summer move, with Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan also having registered interest before the Gunners emerged as frontrunners.

Kone has been one of the more impressive midfielders in Serie A since joining Roma initially on loan in 2024 for £15.5 million. He made 34 appearances last season as Roma finished third in the table, and earned a place in France’s World Cup squad — his first major international tournament. He currently holds 14 senior caps.

The Frenchman began his career at Toulouse before spending four seasons at Borussia Mönchengladbach, developing into a technically assured, high-energy central midfielder. Speaking ahead of France’s tournament opener, Kone was careful not to be drawn on his club future. “Honestly, right now I’m only thinking about the World Cup,” he said. “It’s my first major international competition, a tournament I’ve always dreamed of playing in. I want to remain exclusively focused on this. We’ll talk about the future after the World Cup and see what happens.”

The apparent progress on Kone has coincided with Arsenal cooling their interest in Sporting CP midfielder Mateus Fernandes, who has also attracted attention from Real Madrid and Manchester United. Meanwhile, Sandro Tonali — another name linked with Arsenal — now appears to be heading to north London rivals Tottenham instead. Spurs manager Roberto De Zerbi is said to view the Italy international as his ideal midfield addition as the club look to move clear of the relegation battles that have defined recent seasons.

Manager Mikel Arteta is expected to be backed with significant transfer funds this summer as Arsenal look to mount a sustained Premier League title challenge after narrowly missing out last season.