Manchester United are maintaining contact with Manu Kone while INEOS try to determine what funds are available for a third midfielder.
After securing the quickfire arrivals of Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans, the Red Devils have continued scouring the market for a final addition to complete Michael Carrick’s midfield rebuild.
United shortlist Manu Kone
Alas, they have landed on Kone as a viable and attainable target.
Although AS Roma would, in an ideal world, want to keep hold of the coveted star, manager Gian Piero Gasperini has already opened the door to a potential sale in order to stay within the Financial Fair Play guidelines.
🚨🗣️ Gasperini on Manu Kone amid links to Manchester United:
"He didn’t play with the France national team last year, but now he’s been able to claim a starting spot. It shows his potential and the work he’s put in.
The financial fair play conditions are never exactly precise… pic.twitter.com/gg7iJUI9KN
— UtdXclusive (@UtdXclusive) July 13, 2026
The 25-year-old is currently on his holidays following a month of World Cup involvement with France, where he made five appearances during his nation’s journey to the semi-finals.
Kone was a standout player for Didier Deschamps in the times he did feature, so he would’ve felt aggrieved at the fact he could only make an impact from the bench for the second half of their clash with Spain, which ended in a 2-0 defeat.
Manu Koné’s game by numbers vs. Morocco:
100% long pass accuracy
100% tackles won
92% pass accuracy
75% ground duels won
16 carries
6 passes into the final third
5 ball recoveries
2 progressive carries
2 fouls won
1 chance created
On United’s list… 📝 pic.twitter.com/5mLktrphFj
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) July 9, 2026
What Fabrizio Romano is hearing about United and Kone
On Wednesday, Fabrizio Romano shed some light on the Frenchman’s situation, as well as whether United are expected to make an approach in the near future.
One positive from Romano’s update is that he has squashed speculation over Kone’s inflated price tag, confirming that he will be available at an affordable price this summer.
“For Manu Kone, Man United had contact with the player’s camp of the player, so there were conversations last week. Now the conversations continue, but Man United have to wait to understand how much they can spend on the defensive midfielder,” said Romano.
“As soon as they can decide how much they spend on the defensive midfielder, and as soon as they clarify who the wanted player is, 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-club negotiations.
“That’s the situation for Manu Kone as of today. If you see reports of €85-90 million (£72.5-76.7m) 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.”
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MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - APRIL 27: Casemiro of Manchester United looks on during the warm up prior to the Premier League match between Manchester United and Brentford at Old Trafford on April 27, 2026 in Manchester, England.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MAY 17: Michael Carrick, Manager of Manchester United, speaks to the fans as a banner tribute to Casemiro of Manchester United is seen in the stands following the Premier League match between Manchester United and Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford on May 17, 2026 in Manchester, England.
Jason Wilcox looking on
Isabel, 25, is a football writer who has previously gained experience in the industry as the editor of Stretty News, along with work on Caught Offside, Last Word on Football and Give Me Sport. She is now the editor of UtdReport.
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