Manu Kone: Liverpool, Arsenal threaten United’s pursuit

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The Peoples Person

16 July 2026

Manchester United’s midfield revamp has so far seen the club sign two Premier League-proven players so far.

Andrey Santos was signed for an initial £48 million from Chelsea, a

price that has delighted INEOS

. Swiftly afterwards, the Red Devils pulled off a sensational deal for

Youri Tielemans

Both the

Brazilian

and Belgian midfielders are versatile and capable of operating as defensive midfielders or as part of a double pivot.

The third signing is expected to be someone with physical prowess who is capable of covering large areas of the pitch, while excelling in shielding the back four.

Carlos Baleba

is an option liked by the 20-time English league champions, but

Brighton & Hove Albion’s asking price

remains an issue.

This has forced United to look beyond the English top flight, with AS Roma’s Manu Kone emerging as a top target.

The Frenchman’s imperious displays at the World Cup have seen his stock rise further, with the Giallorossi now hiking his price to £51 million from £43 million. This is the

second time this has happened

in the span of a couple of weeks.

They have been emboldened by the presence of

several English teams

in the race, with

Corriere dello Sport

journalist

Eleonora Trotta

revealing that Liverpool and Arsenal have also asked for information about the 25-year-old.

“Roma are working to secure a transfer for Manu Kone, with the player already instructing his French-based representatives to explore potential opportunities.

“His agents have been in contact with several clubs as they look to find him a move that represents a step up in his career while also improving his salary.

“Among the clubs that have made enquiries are

Manchester United

, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Arsenal. While none has emerged as a clear frontrunner, Kone remains firmly on the shortlist of players being closely monitored by several Premier League sides.

“Manchester United are believed to have made the most progress so far, although it remains to be seen whether the other interested clubs will step up their pursuit. Roma, for their part, are prepared to negotiate a sale but only on their own terms. The club has no intention of letting Kone leave at a cut-price fee and will only sanction a transfer if their valuation is met.”

It was made clear by

that United are

unlikely to spend big on their third midfield signing

, which gave credence to reports of a potential move for

Sander Berge

But

player sales

could potentially open the door to a move for Manu Kone. Whether Roma are just using United’s rivals to seek a better price and whether that elicits a response from INEOS will be interesting to see.

Feature image Kevin C. Cox via Getty Images

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