Serie A table-toppers AS Roma will demand €100 million to part ways with 25-year-old French international Manu Kone next year.
According to a report by Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport, Manu Kone remains the subject of interest from Chelsea after they failed to seal a last-gasp deal in the summer transfer window. The Blues are still eager to reinforce 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 Gazzetta dello Sport, Chelsea and Atletico Madrid failed with bids worth €60 million and €45 million, respectively, and AS Roma will now demand nearly double to part ways with Kone. The Serie A club’s latest price is €100 million, with the Giallorossi citing the transfer fees that Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, Enzo Fernandez, and Ayyoub Bouaddi commanded in the summer to justify the top billing.
Manu Kone and his time in Serie A so far
Manu Kone has made exponential progress since joining AS Roma from Borussia Monchengladbach in August 2024, though it has not been a bed of roses for him over the last two years. However, Gian Piero Gasperini’s influence since last season has accelerated the 25-year-old midfielder’s development, with the player now a mainstay 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 375 minutes of game time in six outings while scoring twice. Meanwhile, Kone’s form and growing stature in international football has provoked interest from top clubs, particularly from the Premier League.
London calling?
Chelsea wanted to sign Manu Kone in the summer transfer window, but a deal did not materialise. The continued interest is logical, as the West London club could not replace Enzo Fernandez in the dying embers of the summer transfer window. Eventually, Fernandez joined Manchester City, leaving Xabi Alonso with only four midfielders in his squad.
Chelsea’s midfield depth is fragile. Romeo Lavia is building fitness early in 2026/27, while Moises Caicedo has battled persistent injury troubles. 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 and ball-progression skill set suit the Premier League’s intensity and Alonso’s high-press system.
Additionally, the Frenchman’s versatility has come to the fore this season. Gasperini has encouraged him to play more advanced roles, while Zinedine Zidane deployed him as a holding midfielder in the UEFA Nations League tie with Turkiye this week. That adds to Kone’s appeal, though AS Roma’s €100 million price is bound to create some doubts, considering the outlay involved in a possible deal.