Manchester United could be closing in on their third midfield acquisition of the summer as they prepare for a huge 2026/27 season at Old Trafford.
Michael Carrick's side have been active in the transfer market already after clinching deals for Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans from Chelsea and Aston Villa respectively.
Elsewhere across the pitch, the club have added Karl Darlow to their goalkeeping department and secured a deal for young Tottenham winger Tynan Thompson which could be worth £8m.
A further midfield addition remains a priority, though, with the club wanting to bring in an experienced player who operates in a deeper role and can also make an impact in the Champions League.
Agreement reached with player
Manu Kone Romavia Reuters
Manchester United are keen on a deal for Roma's Manu Kone as they look to add another midfield option to Carrick's squad.
The Frenchman has excelled in the Italian capital since joining from Borussia Monchengladbach on an initial loan agreement in 2024.
Kone's performances saw him called up to the France squad for the first time shortly after his switch to Roma, with the player going on to make five appearances in Les Bleus' recent World Cup campaign in North America.
Kone is certainly not going to be short of options this summer if a Roma exit materialises as clubs such as United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Aston Villa and Liverpool have shown an interest in the 25-year-old.
Italian publication Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness) reports Saudi club Al-Ahli have now joined the race for the midfield ace and have contacted his representatives and the Serie A side to understand the feasibility and conditions of a move.
In Corriere dello Sport's report on Kone they state that Manchester United are in constant contact with the player's camp and the two parties have reached an agreement in principle regarding personal terms.
United and the Giallorossi now need to agree on a fee, with the publication claiming that Carrick's side are ready to offer a fee around €50m (£42.6m) but Roma want €60m (£51.2m) for their man.
Fees correct prior to summer 2026
All 10 found — excellent!
Kone rated higher than Tchouameni
manu kone
Kone didn't feature for France in their opening game against Senegal but he started in four of their following five matches.
Ahead of their 4-1 Group I win over Norway, former World Cup winner Patrick Vieira dished out the praise when speaking about Kone and labelled him as "the best midfielder in France" right now.
"He had a really good season in Serie A with Roma," the Arsenal legend told ITV. "He came to the World Cup after a couple of injuries. It has been quite a difficult season for him.
"He is for me today the best midfielder in France. I'd put him ahead of [Aurelien] Tchouameni and [Adrien] Rabiot, because he has this mobility, he is aggressive, he is a ball-winner, and he has the technical ability to be part of the build-up, has the facility with the ball to break lines and move forward."
When labelled a 'water carrier' by fellow pundit Roy Keane during the coverage, Vieira responded: "I don't really like that word, water carrier. He will win the ball, but he has something more than the others, as he can play forward.
"Sometimes Tchouameni can give you a little bit of frustration, too many passes sideways or backwards, but he's got more passes going forward."