Everton and Manchester United are both linked with a transfer bid for a winger with quick feet - and perhaps a quicker temper.
One of the more intriguing transfer stories of the summer is slowly starting to unfold over in Italy – and it involves Everton, Manchester United, and a member of England’s victorious 2025 Under-21 European Championship team who has become something of a controversial figure overseas.
A number of sources suggest that Everton and United are both keen to strike a deal for 23-year-old winger Jonathan Rowe, who currently plays for Bologna after his spell at Marseille was cut short following a fist fight with his team captain. But how likely is it that he ends up in the Premier League, and is his discipline something his suitors need to be concerned about?
Everton & Manchester United keen on Jonathan Rowe - reports
Jonathan Rowe scored eight goals in 43 games for Bologna last seasonplaceholder image
Jonathan Rowe scored eight goals in 43 games for Bologna last season | Getty Images
A number of different sources have stated that both Everton and Manchester United are interested in Rowe over the past few days, including British transfer journalist Graeme Bailey and members of the Italian media – Sport Witness have summarised some of their recent stories about Rowe’s future.
The gist of the stories is much the same: Everton have made enquiries about his situation, while United are maintaining a watching brief at present. So many different sources agree with this version of events, that it seems likely that they are at least partly true.
It doesn’t appear as though Everton have made a formal offer as yet, but Bologna appear willing to sell with a price tag in the region of €40m (£34m) being floated. Everton’s valuation of the former Norwich City man remains unclear.
Manchester United, meanwhile, are interested in adding another winger to their squad but are currently prioritising their search for a third new midfielder – if Everton move quickly, then they may be able top get a deal done before United feel able to enter the market. Other teams have monitored Rowe’s progress, including Aston Villa and Chelsea, but as it stands seem less likely to enter the bidding.
Rowe first made his name at Norwich, making 13 Premier League appearances as they suffered relegation to the second tier in the 2021/22 season but later establishing himself as one of the brightest stars in the Championship during the 2023/24 campaign when he scored 12 goals in 32 league games.
His form that season earned him both a place in England’s Under-21 squad – he scored the winning goal in the European Championship final against Germany last summer – and a move to Marseille for a reported €15m (£12.8m) plus add-ons.
He cost a little more – around £16.5m – when he signed for Bologna a year ago after Marseille decided to cut ties with Rowe following what was described as an “incredibly violent” altercation with club captain Adrien Rabiot, who had reportedly criticised his work rate after a match. Both players were sold as a result, and now Rowe could be set for a third club in three years.
Should Rowe’s disciplinary record worry Everton or Manchester United?
Rowe has 10 caps for England's Under-21s but none at senior level as yetplaceholder image
Rowe has 10 caps for England's Under-21s but none at senior level as yet | Getty Images
Rowe’s reputation probably wasn’t helped by a red card he received for violent conduct during a recent pre-season friendly against German outfit Arminia Bielefeld for shoving opposing midfielder Stefano Russo to the ground.
While Rowe clearly lost his temper quite badly, replays which showed that he had taken Russo’s arm to the face moments before suggested that he did have good cause to lose his temper – but it wasn’t an incident which will allay concerns about his discipline given the nature of his ejection from Marseille.
Then manager Roberto De Zerbi described Rowe and Rabiot as “fighting like in an English pub” while a teenage member of Marseille’s squad, Darryl Bakola, reportedly fainted as a result of the altercation. Both Rowe and Rabiot were sent on their way.
While only those in the Marseille dressing room that day can say who was truly at fault, the two players did appear to patch things up, with Rabiot telling the media that the pair had made up, “moved past that episode” and that he would be “happy to see” Rowe before their first meeting in Serie A after their respective moves to Bologna and AC Milan. There was certainly no evidence of lingering tensions.
It’s also worth noting that the red card he was shown against Bielefeld was the first he had received in his professional career – Rowe tends to draw many more fouls than he commits. While he may have a temper, it’s also quite likely that his controversial reputation is overblown to some degree.
So while Everton - or Manchester United, although Everton seem to be the frontrunners for his signature – might get a player with a hot-headed moment in him, they will also be getting a quick, gutsy winger with strong dribbling skills and the ability to take defenders on and beat them with regularity.
Although Rowe’s season with Bologna got off to a slow start – he didn’t really find form until the turn of the year – he did eventually hit his straps at the Renato Dall'Ara Stadium. Bologna aren’t considering a sale because of his performances, and don’t seem to be in a hurry to sell him because of a rush of blood to the head against Bielefeld.
Bologna were warned by UEFA for exceeding spending limits last season and while their finances are far from the worst in Serie A, they remain a club that needs to turn a profit where they can – and selling him for €40m would mean doubling the money they spent on him just a year ago, should that reported figure prove accurate.
Whatever Rowe’s faults, he provides his teams with flair and directness and has the potential to grow further. Everton (or even Manchester United) might not be taking too much of a gamble if they do sign him this summer.