Manchester United have a realistic chance of signing Manu Kone this summer, as Roma are struggling to balance the books.
The Premier League giants have already announced the signing of Andrey Santos, who became their first summer acquisition. The Brazilian completed a £50 million move from Chelsea on Monday.
On Tuesday, Youri Tielemans is expected to undergo his medical before signing a five-year contract. The Red Devils triggered the Belgian’s £35 million release clause, forcing Aston Villa’s hand.
Gasperini admits Roma could sell Manu Kone
After Santos and Tielemans, Man Utd are looking to shore up their midfield by bringing in one more addition.
David Ornstein suggested that the final recruit should be an energetic profile who can cover every acre of the pitch.
While The Athletic journalist didn’t specify any names, all signs point towards Kone, a 25-year-old French international who has overtaken Aurelien Tchouameni in Didier Deschamps’s pecking order during the World Cup.
When asked about his pupil, Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini only had words of praise.
“Kone had a great first half of the season, and then was out of action due to injury for a bit during the second half,” said the Italian manager in his interview with Rai Radio 1 (via Football Italia).
“He’s having a great World Cup. 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.”
Gasperini was then asked if the Giallorossi could be forced to sell Kone and other prized assets to comply with the Financial Fair Play rules. The coach admitted that this is indeed the case, despite their Champions League qualification.
“The financial fair play conditions are never exactly precise or defined; they vary from team to team. It’s undeniable that Roma know that we have to balance the budgets, which has been tough in recent years.
“I’d hoped that entry into the Champions League would have been enough, but budgets are important for clubs and must be respected. I think there will be more clarity in the coming weeks.”
Why Kone is the perfect profile for Man Utd
While Bruno Fernandes remains Man Utd’s chief playmaker, they now have a second creative force who operates behind the skipper in Kobbie Mainoo.
The club has now added a formidable holding midfielder in Tielemans, who combines valuable defensive contributions with the ability to push the ball forward and break the opposition’s lines.
Santos is a young and aspiring midfielder who excels in shielding the backline and recovering the ball, so all that’s missing is a box-to-box midfielder capable of carrying the ball forward, and this is what Kone would bring to the table.
| Percentiles | Duel% | Poss won | Prog carries | Fwd passes | Fwd pass% | Key passes | Prog passes | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
M. Koné
|
57.6 | 60.7 | 72.9 | 86.6 | 95.6 | 55.5 | 61.6 | 2659 |
|
K. Mainoo
|
41.0 | 41.5 | 60.7 | 67.8 | 92.4 | 53.0 | 19.7 | 1901 |
|
Andrey Santos
|
98.6 | 77.5 | 18.8 | 87.7 | 98.8 | 5.5 | 63.2 | 1422 |
|
Y. Tielemans
|
80.8 | 56.3 | 41.2 | 85.4 | 45.4 | 76.4 | 81.3 | 2033 |
(Stats via DataMB)
Moreover, the 25-year-old could be available at £50 million. Even if his price were to rise with another one or two formidable World Cup performances, it would remain a bargain compared to the Premier League’s inflated values.
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