Chelsea will look to sign 25-year-old French international Manu Kone from Serie A club AS Roma in the January transfer window.
According to a report by Simon Phillips on Substack, Manu Kone remains the subject of interest from Chelsea, even though they failed to seal a deal late in the summer transfer window. The Blues are still eager to bolster their first-team squad by signing a versatile midfielder next year, and they have their sights set on the 25-year-old AS Roma midfielder.
Per Simon Phillips, Chelsea are “planning to go back to Roma again soon and speak about a deal to sign their midfielder Manu Kone” in the January transfer window. The report adds that Chelsea and AS Roma could discuss Jamie Gittens as part of the deal to take the Frenchman to Stamford Bridge.
Manu Kone and his time in Serie A so far
Manu Kone took some time to land on his feet, but he has made significant progress since joining AS Roma from Borussia Monchengladbach in August 2024. Gian Piero Gasperini’s influence has accelerated the 25-year-old midfielder’s progress, with the player now a focal point in the Serie A club’s midfield.
The French international amassed over 2,500 minutes of game time in 37 outings across all competitions in the 2025/26 season, chipping in with two goals and three assists. He has also been a regular at the onset of the 2026/27 season, accumulating 236 minutes of game time in three Serie A outings. Meanwhile, Kone’s form and growing stature in international football has provoked interest from top clubs, particularly from the Premier League.
Premier League adventure beckoning?
Chelsea wanted to sign Manu Kone in the summer transfer window, but a deal did not materialise. The continued interest makes sense, as the West London club could not fill Enzo Fernandez’s void in the dying embers of the summer transfer window. Eventually, Fernandez joined Manchester City, and Xabi Alonso has only four midfielders in his squad.
A closer look at the Chelsea midfield reveals underlying issues, as Romeo Lavia is building up his fitness in the early days of the 2026/27 season, while Moises Caicedo has struggled with fitness issues. Meanwhile, Valentin Barco is still coming to grips with the challenge of playing in the Premier League, while Jordan Henderson is in the twilight of his career.
Kone’s physicality will allow him to acclimatise to the Premier League quickly, and his ability to progress play aligns with Xabi Alonso’s style of play. With Chelsea ready to revive talks to sign the French international, another round of discussions with AS Roma will determine whether the Serie A club’s stance has changed after Gian Piero Gasperini successfully kept him at Stadio Olimpico.