Arsenal are exploring the possibility of signing a midfielder during the ongoing transfer window.
The Gunners bolstered their central midfield with Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard last summer, but the latter hardly played during the 2025/26 Premier League season.
Norgaard made just seven appearances, totalling over 101 minutes, and there is a realistic chance that the 32-year-old could head for the exit door in the coming weeks.
A recent report claimed that Arsenal have a ‘concrete interest‘ in landing Roma’s Manu Kone as a possible successor and could step up their pursuit of the Frenchman before the end of June.
However, this has been quickly dismissed by reputed journalist Fabrizio Romano.
In today’s early-morning update, Romano said that the Gunners are not exploring a move for the 25-year-old, who could be available for around £39 million this summer.
He said on his YouTube channel: “Many questions about whether Manu Kone is joining Arsenal. Reports from Italy say Manu Kone is going to Arsenal. He’s almost done, he’s advanced, he’s close.
“No, Arsenal at this point are playing down reports about Manu Kone becoming a new Gunners player. Arsenal are focused on different kinds of players and different kinds of profiles for their midfield.”
Arsenal eyeing a different midfield profile
Kone has been one of the leading performers for the Giallorossi. He was instrumental in the heart of their midfield last season as they qualified for the Champions League after a seven-year wait.
The Frenchman had a passing accuracy of 90 percent in Serie A. He won five duels per game with four recoveries and two tackles. The midfielder lost possession less than nine times per outing.
Despite the positives, Kone is not the most creative. He tends to operate as a defensive or central midfielder with a slight bias towards the left flank. He is not someone who creates regular chances.
The former Borussia Monchengladbach man created just four big chances in Serie A last term. In comparison, Arsenal star Declan Rice created 17 big chances in the Premier League season.
Arsenal already have a solid defensive midfielder to complement Rice in Zubimendi. Myles Lewis-Skelly can also operate from the number six or number eight role, as showcased last month.
If the Gunners were to replace Norgaard, they may want a more creative midfield recruit. In our view, Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali may not be the answer either, and the Gunners could have a surprise target in store for the midfield department that could be revealed in the near future.
Stats from Sofascore.com