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Chelsea react to Man Utd being deemed ‘frontrunners’ for their target by igniting talks of their own

Chelsea are reportedly keen to respond to Manchester United igniting their pursuit of Manu Kone by opening talks themselves.

In fact, the Blues are hoping to take advantage of the fact that AS Roma want Alejandro Garnacho this summer.

Chelsea set sights on Manu Kone swoop

When holding negotiations with the Serie A outfit for Garnacho, Chelsea brought up the prospect of signing Kone, as per Corriere della Sera (via Sport Witness).

It comes after United have been deemed ‘frontrunners’ (TeamTalk) for the midfielder’s signature, with Fabrizio Romano also confirming that ‘initial contact’ has been made between the Red Devils and Kone.

Italian media suggest Manchester United used the Ederson medical as an excuse to withdraw from the €45m Atalanta deal, so could now turn their focus to Roma’s France international Manu Kone instead.#Atalanta #MUFC #ASRoma #France pic.twitter.com/W9iqLmh01U

— Football Italia (@footballitalia) July 10, 2026

The 25-year-old has impressed at the World Cup with France over the last month, and was unfortunate to miss out on a starting spot for their clash with Spain last night.

Manu Kone’s game by numbers vs. Morocco:

96% pass accuracy

9 carries

3 duels contested

3 duels won

2 fouls won

1 chance created

1 progressive carry

Really impressive. 🔝 pic.twitter.com/5lnoNlrJpw

— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) July 9, 2026

Kone was brought on at half-time in place of Adrien Rabiot, who’d been shown an early yellow card, but was unable to prevent Les Bleus suffering a 2-0 defeat and exiting at the semi-final stage.

He will remain in camp until after the tournament’s third-place playoff on Saturday, after which developments over his future will likely progress swiftly.

Kone set for summer move after World Cup

Roma have also opened the door to Kone’s departure – albeit reluctantly.

Manager Gian Piero Gasperini spoke of Financial Fair Play restrictions playing a major part in how Roma will have to approach the transfer window.

“Unlike [Donyell] Malen, he [Kone] was sidelined for a while due to injury and arrived at the World Cup in better shape. Last year he hadn’t played for France yet, and he managed to earn a starting spot, which shows his true worth,” said Gasperini.

“His future? I think these Financial Fair Play conditions are never so precise and defined; they vary from team to team. Roma also need to balance the books, which have been burdensome in recent years.

“I hoped that returning to the Champions League would be enough, but it’s clear that financial statements are crucial for clubs. I believe there will be more clarity in the coming weeks.”

Manu Kone 🇫🇷 vs Juventus pic.twitter.com/FGLujvwQp7

— ASRomaComps (@roma_comps) April 7, 2025