Roma Prepare for Koné Bids as Manchester United and Chelsea Circle
The World Cup has slipped out of focus, and in its place the transfer market has taken center stage. In Rome, that means one thing: Manu Koné is about to test the club’s resolve.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Roma are preparing for substantial offers for the midfielder, with Manchester United at the front of the queue. Chelsea are in the picture too, and both Premier League sides know the numbers involved. Roma value Koné at €55–60 million, a figure that would deliver a huge capital gain given he sits at just €12 million on the club’s balance sheet.
That kind of deal would reshape their summer.
A sale Roma don’t want, but may need
Gian Piero Gasperini has already set the tone. The coach recently admitted that the club will likely have to sacrifice a key player to balance the books. The internal deadline for that painful decision has been pushed back by a month, now set for July 31, but the pressure has not eased.
Roma’s ideal scenario would be different. Their preference is to cash in on Matias Soulé, yet the market has not played along. Offers have been underwhelming, and Soulé has already turned down a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia, closing off one of the quickest routes to a big fee.
So attention inevitably swings back to Koné.
United are tracking him alongside Eduardo Camavinga and Alex Scott as they look to remodel their midfield with a blend of youth, dynamism, and technical quality. Chelsea, never shy in this arena, are also monitoring the situation. The interest is real, the valuation is clear, and Roma know a bidding war could break out.
BlueCo links and the replacement puzzle
Roma’s planning does not stop at the exit door. The club are already sketching out the next phase, and their eyes have drifted towards players under BlueCo’s umbrella as potential reinforcements.
Frank Kessié and Khephren Thuram are on their radar, names that speak to power, presence, and experience at the top level. Roma’s interest in them is also a reaction to recent frustration: Juventus swooped in late to snatch Zeki Celik, a move that has sharpened the Giallorossi’s determination not to be caught cold again.
Celik himself could yet leave for around €40 million, another possible lever in this delicate financial and sporting equation.
Wider net: Engels and Danilo Santos
Roma are not limiting themselves to the BlueCo network. The recruitment department has cast a wider net, and two more names sit firmly on the shortlist.
Celtic’s Arne Engels is one. The Belgian midfielder carries a price tag of around €20–25 million and offers a profile that could be molded and developed in Serie A.
Then there is Botafogo’s Danilo Santos, fresh from Brazil’s World Cup squad and valued at roughly €30–35 million. His inclusion on that list underlines Roma’s ambition to stay competitive even if they lose a centerpiece like Koné.
Roma stand at a familiar crossroads for Italian clubs: sell high to survive, or hold firm and risk missing the financial window. With Manchester United and Chelsea circling and a clear valuation on the table, the next few weeks will tell whether Koné is the pillar they build around—or the sacrifice that funds their next evolution.
