Manchester United eye £45m Roma midfielder Manu Kone after France's World Cup exit clears path

Manchester United are weighing a move for Roma midfielder Manu Kone, with the 25-year-old France international reportedly available for around £45m after Roma’s financial difficulties made a summer sale increasingly likely.

United have already moved quickly in midfield this window, completing deals for Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos. The club are said to be in the market for one further addition in the position, and Kone has emerged as the primary target. His country’s semi-final exit at the hands of Spain at the World Cup removes a scheduling obstacle that had previously complicated negotiations — the same logic that allowed United to finalise the Tielemans deal swiftly after Belgium’s own elimination.

Kone began his senior career at Toulouse in 2019 before moving to Borussia Mönchengladbach, where he developed into a dynamic No. 8 known for his ability to carry the ball forward and retain possession under pressure. He joined Roma in 2024 and quickly became a key figure, contributing to the club’s third-place Serie A finish last season. He also boasts one of the division’s highest pass completion rates.

The case for signing Kone centres on a specific gap in United’s current midfield options. Kobbie Mainoo is expected to anchor the double-pivot under manager Michael Carrick, but the supporting cast — Tielemans, Santos, and potentially Mason Mount if he remains — are all slight in build and lack the physical presence to win the ball in tight spaces. With Casemiro departed and Manuel Ugarte considered surplus to requirements, United are short of a midfielder who combines strength with technical quality.

Kone’s profile addresses that directly. At 6ft 1in with a long-striding running style, he offers the athletic coverage and recovery runs that would complement Mainoo’s dribbling-heavy game. Deployed alongside the young Englishman, he could provide the defensive solidity and pressing intensity that a possession-based system demands.

United are not alone in their interest, however. Roma’s financial situation means the player is likely to attract attention from several clubs, and the window for securing a deal at the reported £45m valuation may be short.