A third midfield signing is on the Manchester United to-do list following the arrivals of Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos.
Tielemans joined United from Aston Villa earlier this week after the club triggered a £35 million release clause in his contract. This came out of the blue, much like the £50m deal to sign Santos from Chelsea a week prior.
The Red Devils are now looking to bring a third midfielder to Old Trafford and complete their midfield rebuild. They were set to sign Ederson from Atalanta but pulled the plug when issues arose during medical assessments.
Man Utd Lead Race For Manu Kone
Manu Kone Romavia Reuters
United are now exploring alternatives and need a defensive midfielder who can anchor Michael Carrick's midfield next season. After missing out on top targets Elliot Anderson and Aurelien Tchouameni, they appear to have set their sights on AS Roma's Manu Kone.
According to Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Reds are showing the most interest of any club in Kone although he's one of three names on their shortlist. Bournemouth's Alex Scott and Real Madrid's Eduardo Camavinga are also admired.
Kone has enjoyed a superb World Cup campaign, earning praise for his performances. French football legend Patrick Vieira claims that the Roma star is the 'best midfielder in France', even better than Tchouameni.
The report claims that "pressure from the Premier League has intensified" and that he is listed on the Serie A club's balance sheet. They are looking to settle a dispute with UEFA and could look to sell the Frenchman.
Roma are thought to be demanding around €55 million (£46.8m) for the 25-year-old, who has three years left on his contract. United aren't the only ones linked, as Chelsea are also thought to be showing interest after Santos' sale.
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Kone is the Solution For Man Utd
manu kone
Of the three names that appear on United's wishlist, Kone could be the most exciting given his displays at the World Cup. He started on the bench before catching the eye when filling in for Tchouameni and Adrien Rabiot.
One concern may be his injury record, given that he missed 13 games last season due to muscular issues and a hamstring problem. When he's fit and available, he's a real talent whose passing abilities haven't gone unnoticed.
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Nor have his defensive qualities, as he's able to put in the work to help out his defenders, and his off-the-ball work will enthuse Carrick and his coaches. He beat Camavinga to a place in France's squad for the World Cup and for £46.8m seems an ideal third midfield signing for the Old Trafford outfit.