AS Roma sporting director Tony D’Amico has revealed holding late talks with Chelsea over a move for Manu Koné.
The midfielder is still at the Serie A side as Chelsea didn’t convert their approach into an offer.
D’Amico was speaking at a press conference on Wednesday. Journalist Alfredo Pedullà has relayed his comments about Chelsea’s late attempt to sign the 25-year-old.
Chelsea’s efforts to sign another midfielder
The Premier side have added Valentín Barco and Jordan Henderson as two midfielders to Xabi Alonso’s squad.
On deadline day, the Blues let Enzo Fernández complete a big money move to Manchester City. They wanted to replace him but couldn’t sign the AS Roma player or AS Monaco’s Lamine Camara.
Two days ago, Sport Witness covered a report from Italy explaining that Chelsea pushed to sign Manu Koné. Tony D’Amico has now confirmed the English club contacted the Giallorossi.
“Manu Koné at Chelsea, there was nothing. Not even an offer. There were informative contacts with Chelsea on the last day of the transfer window. No official offers arrived to approach the player,” he said.
No threat from manager over Chelsea move
Earlier this week, AS Roma manager Gian Piero Gasperini publicly urged the club not to sell the France international.
He said: “Can Koné leave? Absolutely not. It’s a media thing. No one has ever spoken to me about Koné’s departure, or anyone else’s at this time, just a few… less than 24 hours before the transfer window closes.”
There were also reports of Gasperini threatening to leave if Roma were to sell Manu Koné to Xabi Alonso’s side.
Tony D’Amico dismisses these links and explains it never came to that because the Blues didn’t make an offer.
“I read that Gasperini would resign, an ultimatum, but in reality, there was nothing. There were phone calls, but no ultimatum from the manager,” D’Amico explained.
“Something was imagined that never happened, no official offer, the last day of the transfer window stirred up everyone’s emotions…”
Sportwitness
Football transfer news from the across the world.