Arsenal are reportedly interested in Roma midfielder Manu Kone and have made initial contact to explore a move.
The France international has had an impressive time in Serie A and would be a decent option on the market this summer as he won’t cost a fortune.
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According to Italian outlet Corriere della Sera, quoted and translated by Sport Witness, Arsenal have established contact with Kone’s agent.
After looking into Kone’s situation, it appears that Roma are not keen on selling the 25-year-old, but the newspaper claims they could be willing to sell him for around 50 million euros.
Manu Kone move could be smart business for Arsenal
Arsenal could have more depth in the center of the park next season with Declan Rice and Martin Zvimendi playing a huge amount of football throughout the 2025/26 season.
Mikel Arteta’s side won the Premier League title and also reached the finals of the Champions League and Carabao Cup, so the team was really pushed to the limit at times.
Still, Christian Norgaard has barely featured since arriving from Brentford last summer, so Arteta may be looking to replace him with someone more reliable.
I don’t think Cone will necessarily be a better starter than Rice, Zvimendi or Miles Lewis-Skelly, but he certainly has what it takes to be a better team player than Norgaard.
Midfielder is given a hefty price tag
If AFC can land the Roma ace for less than €50 million, it could be very good business in a market where midfielders command insane amounts of money.
Fabrizio Romano reports that Matheus Fernandes is already worth around £80m despite being relegated at West Ham, so see below…
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Meanwhile, The Athletic reports that Nottingham Forest are seeking a £120m transfer fee for Elliott Anderson, who has just enjoyed a good season in the Premier League.
Arsenal may prefer to field players who have already proven themselves in English football, but the price tag won’t come cheap, so considering a player like Kone as a replacement seems like a good back-up plan.
