Manchester United have reportedly reached an agreement in principle with French midfielder Manu Kone regarding personal terms. Despite this development, an official bid for Kone has not yet been submitted to his current club, Roma. The Premier League club is expected to pursue a defensive midfielder this summer.
Kone, who represented France at the World Cup, is valued by Roma at approximately €50 million. Reports indicate that Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, and Al-Hilal have also shown interest in the midfielder.
Midfield Reinforcements
The need for midfield reinforcements at Manchester United is evident. This follows the departure of Casemiro and a long-term injury sustained by Manuel Ugarte at the World Cup. The club also recently missed out on signing Elliot Anderson, who joined rivals Manchester City in a significant £116 million transfer.
Manchester United has already secured two midfielders this summer. Andrey Santos joined for £50 million, and Youri Tielemans also moved to the club after a release clause in his contract was triggered.
Fabrizio Romano, a transfer expert, confirmed that Manchester United had contact with Kone’s representatives last week, with conversations continuing. However, Romano noted that Manchester United needs to determine how much they can spend on a defensive midfielder before proceeding with a bid to Roma.
Romano also addressed reports regarding Kone’s potential transfer fee, stating that figures of €85-90 million are not accurate and that he is hearing the price tag would be lower for the French midfielder.
Competition for Signatures
Manchester United leads the chase for Kone but faces competition from Arsenal for his signature. Arsenal has also revived their interest in Athletic Club winger Nico Williams, who was part of Spain’s World Cup-winning squad. Williams is believed to have a release clause.
Elsewhere in the transfer market, West Ham has rejected a second offer from Roma for Dutch forward Crysencio Summerville. Roma’s first bid was, and the Italian club is reportedly working on a final proposal for the 24-year-old.
Aston Villa is considering a move for Summerville as they look to replace Morgan Rogers, who is set to join Chelsea. Barcelona has scheduled a meeting with forward Ferran Torres to discuss his plans, as he has one year left on his contract and interest from Paris St-Germain.
Ipswich Town has agreed a deal to sign Issa Diop from Fulham for about. Newcastle and Leeds are among the Premier League clubs interested in FC Midtjylland striker Franculino Dju, with the Danish club seeking a significant fee.
AC Milan has identified Genk winger Konstantinos Karetsas as a summer transfer target, but may need to sell Rafael Leao to fund the move. Brighton has reportedly turned down an offer for winger Amario Cozier-Duberry, who has been linked with West Ham.
Middlesbrough is leading the race for Tottenham and England youth international forward Will Lankshear, who is expected to cost a significant fee. Middlesbrough and Norwich are also set to compete for defensive midfielder Balthazar Pierret, who plays for French Ligue 2 club Red Star.
Sheffield United is leading Derby and Middlesbrough in the race to sign former Rangers and Wales winger Rabbi Matondo. The Blades could be priced out of a move for former loan star Harry Souttar, with Leicester said to value the Australia World Cup skipper at. Notts County is in pole position to sign Southend midfielder Leon Chambers-Parillon, with Mansfield and Chesterfield also in the hunt for the player.
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Source: independent.co.uk
As News-UK's Sports News Writer, Oscar Pennington reports on rugby union, golf and boxing for readers across the country. He built a reputation for sharp explainer pieces on regional sport. He holds a degree in Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Oscar lives in Nottingham, where he follows the pro golf tour and amateur boxing. “Context is what turns a result into a story.”
