Man United chiefs Jason Wilcox, Omar Berrada and Christopher Vivell
Manchester United director of recruitment has told the club to sign Manu Kone from AS Roma this summer, but there are disagreements behind the scenes, according to Ben Jacobs.
The Red Devils have made upgrading their midfield a top priority for the summer window after Casemiro left at the end of his contract, while Manuel Ugarte suffered a serious knee injury at the World Cup and is expected to miss most of the campaign. Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans have both joined, but the club are keen to bring in one more player in the position for Michael Carrick.
After missing out on top targets Elliot Anderson and Mateus Fernandes, who joined Man City and Tottenham for £116m and £85m respectively earlier in the window, the club have been linked with a host of names. But Jacobs has revealed that Vivell is pushing one star in particular.
Jacobs: Vivell Wants Kone at Man Utd
via Reuters
Kone, who has been described as 'phenomenal', was one of the standout performers for France at the World Cup this summer as the team finished fourth behind England, Argentina and eventual winners Spain.
Man Utd have been strongly linked with a move for the 25-year-old as a result, as they look for a defensive-minded midfielder who is comfortable in possession. But speaking on The United Stand, Jacobs revealed that while Vivell has pushed for his arrival at Old Trafford, the decision ultimately comes down to Jason Wilcox, and he isn't completely sold on the deal.
“Michael Carrick would still perhaps prefer another name that he feels has proven Premier League experience or, at the other extreme, is a kind of Tchouameni-type player.
“So, there’s not that uniform all-in, everyone wants to go for Kone yet, but they have held some talks on the player side, so we have to see whether they align, but Jason Wilcox has put forward other targets and is also looking at some names, such as the ones that I mentioned that like Santos and Tielemans have that immediate proven Premier League experience.”
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Manu Kone World Cup Stats (per 90)
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Kone Deal There to be Done
manu kone
Kone has spent two seasons in Serie A with Roma and enjoyed some good times, but it seems that the club are ready to allow him to move on. Reports have suggested they would be open to a deal for around €50m (£42.8m)
It's unclear if Man Utd would be willing to pay that at this stage, but the player has been earning rave reviews for his performances, with Arsenal and Premier League legend Patrick Vieira describing him as 'France's best midfielder'.
"He had a really good season in Serie A with Roma. He came to the World Cup after a couple of injuries," said Vieira on ITV Football in his role as a World Cup pundit.
"I'd put him ahead of Tchouameni and 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."
Statistics courtesy of WhoScored - correct as of 07/08/2026.