Roma midfielder Manu Kone has his sights on joining Arsenal despite an approach from Atletico Madrid, according to Quotidiano Sportivo.
The Frenchman had a productive 2025/26 season with the Giallorossi and helped them qualify for the Champions League after a seven-year wait.
Despite this, Kone is likely to leave the Serie A outfit, who need a big-money sale to balance their books.
Atletico Madrid have already offered £39 million to purchase the 25-year-old this summer, but Kone has a clear desire to join Arsenal in the Premier League.
Kone will only decide on his future after the ongoing World Cup with France, but he is awaiting a counteroffer from the Gunners in the coming days.
Arsenal could pursue a deal for Kone amid Declan Rice’s condition
Declan Rice recently revealed that he has been struggling with neural hamstring pain since the turn of the year. The midfielder has carefully managed his condition.
The Englishman has had a heavy workload and could play 70 matches since the start of the 2025/26 season if the Three Lions go all the way to the World Cup final.
In that case, Arsenal may need to be wary of his fitness and could handle him with extra caution during the first half of the 2026/27 campaign at least, in our opinion.
We have already discussed the possibility of Arsenal pursuing a defensively minded midfielder like Kone, who can also operate from the number eight position.
The former Borussia Monchengladbach man won five duels and two tackles per Serie A appearance last term, and also made five ball recoveries on average.
Kone recently played 90 minutes for France against Iraq at the World Cup, with Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni left on the bench as an unused substitute.
He is ready for a bigger challenge in his career. It remains to be seen whether the Gunners match Atletico’s £39m bid as the player is very open to joining them.
Stats from Sofascore.com