Manchester United could now land one of their top central midfield transfer targets for a much lower fee, according to Fabrizio Romano.
It has been an eventful summer for Man United in their bid to land at least two new midfielders for Michael Carrick ahead of the club's return to the Champions League next season.
The Red Devils quickly learned that they were unable to match Manchester City when it came to landing their dream target Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest, while another dream signing in Real Madrid's Aurelien Tchouameni is expected to pen new contract terms at the Bernabeu.
Then, it appeared as though Ederson would be moving to Old Trafford after club chiefs agreed a fee with Atalanta for his services, but a problem with the Brazil international's first medical saw United pull out of the move.
United did land Andrey Santos from Chelsea and Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa in quick succession in deals worth a total of £85m combined, leaving them with a decent-sized budget for a third new arrival in the position, after Manuel Ugarte suffered a serious knee injury while playing for Uruguay at the 2026 World Cup.
Romano: Man Utd in Ongoing Talks Over Manu Kone Deal
Manu Kone Romavia Reuters
As United consider their options for the next arrival after Santos and Tielemans, AS Roma and France international Manu Kone has emerged as one of their strongest targets.
The 25-year-old shone for his country at the World Cup as they were knocked out at the semi-final stage by eventual winners Spain, with the Red Devils in continued talks to bring him to England.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano has dismissed reports that he could cost €85-90m, and says that the price tag would be much lower.
He said: "For Manu Kone, Man United had contacts with the camp of the player, so there were conversations last week. I told you, it was an exclusive story here on the channel last week. Now the conversations continue, but Man United have to wait to understand how much they can spend on the defensive midfielder.
"As soon as they can decide how much they spend on the defensive midfielder, and as soon as they clarify who is the wanted player, then Man United will go for the next steps. At the moment, Manu Kone remains on Manchester United's list, but still no bid to Roma, no club-to-class negotiations.
"That's the situation for Manukone as of today. If you see reports of €85-90m for Manu Kone, I'm told that it's not accurate. I'm hearing that the price tag would be lower for the French midfielder."
Fees correct prior to summer 2026
All 10 found — excellent!
Man United Preparing Zaire-Emery Bid
Zaire-Emery
According to reports out of France, United are also preparing a bid to sign midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery from Paris Saint-Germain.
The Red Devils are obviously willing to aim high with their midfield targets after interest in the likes of Anderson and Tchouameni this summer, and Zaire-Emery would be another example of that.
The France international is another huge talent in PSG's ranks, and he would be an outstanding signing for United amid reports of a £51m bid.
It appears unlikely that the Champions League holders would be willing to sell the 20-year-old, but that doesn't appear to have put United off.