France exit opens door for United to accelerate £51m Manu Kone pursuit

Manchester United’s summer spending could push well beyond £100m after France’s World Cup elimination on Tuesday opened the door for the club to step up their reported pursuit of Roma midfielder Manu Kone. Les Bleus fell 2-0 to Spain in Dallas, ending Kone’s tournament and freeing the 25-year-old for potential transfer discussions.

United have moved quickly in the window this week, confirming the signings of Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and goalkeeper Karl Darlow — with Santos and Tielemans alone costing a combined £85m. Manager Michael Carrick now has a significantly bolstered squad, but reports suggest the club are still open to adding another midfielder.

Kone is said to be available for around €60m (£51m), a fee that would take United’s summer outlay past the £100m mark should a deal be completed. The France international impressed at Roma last season, contributing two goals and three assists across all competitions.

United are not alone in their interest. Liverpool and Atletico Madrid have also been linked with Kone, while Inter Milan were credited with interest earlier in the summer. The competition for his signature means any move is unlikely to be straightforward, even with France now out of the tournament.

France will still feature in Saturday’s third-place play-off, after which Kone’s club future is expected to become a more pressing topic. Whether United make a formal approach remains to be seen, but the timing of the elimination has at least removed one logistical obstacle.

Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni have also been mentioned as United targets this summer, suggesting the club’s midfield rebuild under Carrick is far from finished.