Several Premier League sides are showing interest in a star of France’s World Cup squad - but where will he end up?
By the end of the weekend, the World Cup will be at an end and its biggest stars will be on their way to a well-deserved break – save, perhaps, for those who are likely to spend the next few weeks embroiled in negotiations over a transfer. One player who probably be given too much time to put his feet up is Manu Koné.
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The France midfielder, who will return to AS Roma after playing England in Saturday’s third-place play-off, is the subject of growing interest from several sides but appears to be keen to move to the Premier League, having supposedly rebuffed the advances of Atlético Madrid – and if reports are to be believed, at least three English sides are interested.
Manchester United, Chelsea and Aston Villa have all been connected with Koné in the gossip columns, while Roma are happy to sell in order to keep their bank balance in the black. But where might the 25-year-old midfielder end up? Below, we’ve summed up the state of play with all three of his supposed suitors and assessed each club’s chances of getting a deal over the line.
Will Manchester United sign Manu Koné to complete their midfield rebuild?
Manu Koné has started four of France's World Cup matches so farplaceholder image
Manu Koné has started four of France's World Cup matches so far | Getty Images
Of the three clubs mentioned above, Manchester United have had been linked with Koné for the longest. He’s known to be one of several players that the Red Devils have monitored as they work to rebuild their midfield, and could quite easily be the final piece of that particular puzzle – but it’s not certain that he’s at the top of their list.
Koné fits the bill, at least. Having signed Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos already, Michael Carrick needs a defensive midfielder with some box-to-box quality, and that’s precisely the kind of profile that Koné provides.
The Athletic and The Manchester Evening News are among the outlets to have made recent comments about United’s interest, but the one thing that remains unclear is whether a bid will actually be forthcoming. Koné is just one of several players under consideration, and they may opt to head in a different direction.
Alex Scott and Ayyoub Bouaddi are among the more expensive players that United are looking at, and much will depend on the progress that the club makes in negotiations with that pair of players. Scott, in particular, is quite plausibly the preferred target, with Koné perhaps a more budget-friendly back-up. It would be no surprise if he ended up at Old Trafford, but they have yet to make a final decision.
Could Chelsea compete for Koné’s signature?
New Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has been given greater influence over transfers than his predecessorsplaceholder image
New Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has been given greater influence over transfers than his predecessors | Getty Images
The links with Chelsea are a little more tenuous. Italian media outlet Corriere della Sera reported on Wednesday that the Blues had entered the frame to sign the Frenchman and it’s a claim which has been echoed across the gossip columns, but which still has relatively little corroboration from reliable outlets.
Nor have 3 Added Minutes yet been able to confirm that Chelsea are keen. Still, Corriere della Sera suggest that exploratory talks have already taken place, while suggesting a likely price tag of €50m (£42.5m). Other publications have put the asking price at anything between £35m and £50m.
The departure of Santos might force Chelsea into the market for another midfielder, but with Enzo Fernández looking increasingly likely to be stuck at Stamford Bridge after Real Madrid publicly pulled the plug on a potential bid, the Blues may not be keen to spend a significant sum on a rotational player, especially if Xabi Alonso proves happy to use Reece James as an option in midfield. Frankly, it’s not clear whether Chelsea are genuine suitors for Koné.
Could Aston Villa enter the fray?
Aston Villa are in the market for a midfielder after the sale of Youri Tielemansplaceholder image
Aston Villa are in the market for a midfielder after the sale of Youri Tielemans | Getty Images
A more recent claim has been that Aston Villa are plotting a bid, presumably as a direct replacement for Tielemans – Sport Witness summarised reports from France about the Villans’ alleged interest on Thursday.
Apparently Aston Villa have made “multiple enquiries,” although the reporting stops short of suggesting a formal offer has been made. Koné could certainly mirror much of Tielemans’ contribution on the field, even if he perhaps offers a little less penetration in the final third.
The real price point will be crucial. The sales of Tielemans and Lucas Digne will have provided some immediate cash but Aston Villa are still sailing close to the wind with UEFA’s financial fair play rules and have a limited budget for the summer. If the transfer fee is £50m or more, they may simply be priced out, and they may not be able to match the salaries that other clubs can offer.
As with Chelsea, there simply isn’t much corroboration for Aston Villa’s supposed interest as yet. They may well have earmarked Koné as an option, but may well end up heading in a different direction entirely. It’s worth noting that Sport Witness brought another name into the mix: Arsenal.
Koné’s future is far from certain but the odds are that he ends up in England – it seems to be his preference, Roma are happy to sell to keep their finances in good shape, and he has plenty of suitors. Just don’t be surprised if it takes some time for it to become clear where he’ll actually end up.
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