At one point this summer, everyone wanted to know where Manu Kone would end up.
The French midfielder’s rise at Roma has not gone unnoticed. His brilliance with France at the World Cup, filling in for Aurelien Tchouameni and proving more than reliable, thrust him further into the spotlight.
As a physical, press-resistant central midfielder who excels at winning back possession and shielding the ball under heavy pressure, Kone has developed into exactly the kind of player top teams craving control and dominance want at the heart of their engine room.
Arsenal and Manchester United led the race for Kone
Arsenal and Manchester United emerged as the two clubs most heavily linked with his signature.
Reports even suggested he had agreed personal terms with Arsenal, though nothing came of it.
In fact, the Gunners appeared to cool their interest altogether, leaving United as the frontrunners to land him as their top alternative to Tchouameni. However, while Roma waited for the Red Devils to table an offer for the 25-year-old, it never arrived.
United instead turned to Carlos Baleba, closing the door on any hopes of Kone heading to Old Trafford.
Chelsea’s late charge
It appeared as though Kone would stay put at the Stadio Olimpico until Chelsea launched a late push to lure him to the Premier League in the past few days.
Their efforts, however, will not pay off. According to Gianluca Di Marzio, Kone is not leaving Rome, despite advanced talks between the two clubs’ owners. As he confirms:
“Manu Kone is staying at Roma, despite advanced discussions between the two owners.”
He goes on to explain: “Gasperini pushed for the French midfielder’s permanence and was instrumental in securing his future with Roma.”
Had anyone predicted at the end of last season that Kone would still be at Roma now, most would have called it unthinkable.
Yet despite his brilliance, no suitor has managed to prise Roma’s tempo-setter away.
One to watch
Even so, another standout season in the capital should be enough to draw the top clubs back next summer, and that is when Kone’s big move may finally come.
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Unless there is a last-minute surprise, we believe Kone stays put at Roma.
Feature image Kevin C. Cox via Getty Images
