Roma Prepare for Koné Bids from Manchester United

The World Cup is done, the spotlight has swung back to club football, and in Rome the mood is tense. Roma know what’s coming. Manu Koné is about to test their resolve – and their balance sheet.

La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that the capital club are preparing for significant offers for the midfielder, with Manchester United at the head of the queue. Chelsea are in the mix as well, and that combination usually means only one thing: a serious auction.

Financial clock ticking in Rome

Gian Piero Gasperini has already laid the groundwork publicly. He recently admitted that the club will likely have to sacrifice a key player to meet financial demands. The deadline for that sale, initially set earlier in the summer, has been pushed back by a month to July 31st. The clock is still ticking, just a little slower.

Roma’s ideal scenario would be very different. Their preference is to cash in on Matias Soulé, but the market has not played along. Concrete offers have been scarce, and when a move to Saudi Arabia materialised, the player turned it down. That refusal has only sharpened the focus on Koné.

A potential windfall in Koné

Koné sits at the heart of Roma’s financial equation. The club value him at €55–60 million. On paper, he is listed at just €12 million on their accounts. Any sale close to their asking price would generate a huge capital gain, the kind of “plusvalenza” that reshapes a summer strategy in one stroke.

That is exactly why Manchester United are watching closely. Koné is on their list alongside Eduardo Camavinga and Alex Scott as they weigh up how to remodel their midfield. Chelsea are tracking him too, and Roma are well aware of how aggressive both English clubs can be when they identify a target.

Replacement hunt already under way

Roma are not waiting for the first bid to land. They have already started sketching out life after Koné.

The Giallorossi are monitoring a pair of midfielders under BlueCo control, with Frank Kessié and Khephren Thuram both on their radar. It is a pointed response to Juventus, who swooped late to snatch Zeki Celik from under their noses. Roma are determined not to be left scrambling again.

Celik himself could yet bring in funds; he is understood to be a candidate to leave for around €40 million. Any such move would only deepen the need for reinforcements and accelerate the search for the right profile.

Targets across Europe and beyond

The net has been cast wide. Celtic’s Arne Engels has made Roma’s shortlist, his name underlined by a €20–25 million valuation that fits more comfortably into a tiered rebuild. From South America, Botafogo’s Danilo Santos is another serious option. Fresh from Brazil’s World Cup squad, he carries an estimated price tag of €30–35 million and the kind of pedigree that appeals to a club looking for both present impact and future upside.

This is where Roma stand now: one major sale almost inevitable, several possible arrivals mapped out, and Manchester United lurking with Premier League money. The numbers are clear. The strategy is taking shape.

What remains to be seen is whether Roma can turn this looming departure into the kind of reset that changes a season, rather than just their accounts.