Roma's Confidence in Keeping Manu Kone as Manchester City Pursues Alternatives

Roma have spent most of the summer fending off glances from Europe’s elite for Manu Kone. Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City have all been regularly name-checked around the midfielder, his name floating through gossip columns in both England and Italy.

For a while, City looked like the most serious threat. Reports in the British press framed Kone as a potential solution after the Premier League champions lost Rodri and faced the prospect of also losing Nico Gonzalez. A vacancy in the heart of midfield, a rising star in Serie A – the dots were easy to join.

But the numbers tell a different story.

Corriere dello Sport report that Roma are increasingly confident of keeping Kone at the Stadio Olimpico. The club have set the bar high: any suitor, including City, would have to put €55 million on the table to even start a conversation. Right now, that scenario feels distant.

Roma did briefly open the door in June. Pressed by Financial Fair Play demands, they had to at least weigh up the idea of a sale. Even then, no English club stepped forward with a formal offer. The only concrete move came from Atletico Madrid, whose bid never reached the level Roma considered acceptable – particularly after Kone’s standout World Cup campaign strengthened their resolve.

The picture has shifted again in recent weeks. Inside Trigoria, the mood is turning from cautious to optimistic. City, once painted as the main danger, are now understood to be concentrating on bigger-money pursuits such as Enzo Fernandez and Ayoub Bouaddi.

With the Premier League giants looking elsewhere and Atletico’s proposal long since dismissed, Roma suddenly hold a strong hand. The price is clear, the market is hesitating, and Kone’s stock in the capital has never been higher.