Manchester United Incar Manu Kone untuk Perkuat Lini Tengah

Manchester United dilaporkan tengah mempercepat proses untuk mendatangkan gelandang AS Roma, Manu Kone, dalam kesepakatan bernilai sekitar 50 juta poundsterling pada bursa transfer musim panas 2026. Langkah ini diambil oleh manajemen Setan Merah setelah mereka dipastikan gagal merekrut target utama mereka dari Real Madrid, Aurelien Tchouameni.

Rencana perombakan lini tengah klub yang dipimpin oleh kepemilikan INEOS ini juga berjalan beriringan dengan proses transfer Ederson Silva dari Atalanta dan Andrey Santos dari Chelsea. Meski demikian, Manchester United harus bersaing ketat dengan Arsenal yang dikabarkan menjadi tujuan favorit bagi gelandang asal Prancis tersebut.

Jurnalis ESPN Brasil, Felipe Silva, memberikan pembaruan mengenai situasi transfer gelandang asal Brasil lainnya yang dikaitkan dengan Manchester United melalui media sosial X.

"Andrey Santos will undergo medical exams this Thursday (9) to sign with Manchester United. Deal closed in the region of 50 million pounds. The operation for the midfielder Ederson, from Atalanta and the Brazilian national team, is stalled at this moment." tulis Felipe Silva.

Pihak TEAMtalk memberikan laporan tambahan mengenai ketertarikan United terhadap Kone di saat Real Madrid memilih untuk mempertahankan gelandang mereka.

"Real Madrid have also made Eduardo Camavinga available, but we understand United’s recruitment team are currently more intrigued by Kone’s profile. Roma, meanwhile, are open to doing business. Despite securing Champions League football, the Italian side are understood to require player sales to meet UEFA’s financial regulations, with Kone viewed internally as their most valuable saleable asset. Sources have told us the Frenchman could be available for a fee in the region of £50million." lapor TEAMtalk.

Jurnalis transfer Ben Jacobs turut mengonfirmasi bahwa Manchester United telah melakukan komunikasi resmi untuk mencari informasi mengenai ketersediaan pemain berusia 25 tahun tersebut.

"I am not sure that there’s that much more in it yet, but let’s see whether they react again if the Ederson deal is off. I don’t think that we can discount that one." kata Ben Jacobs kepada talkSPORT.

Kone menarik perhatian setelah tampil impresif bersama tim nasional Prancis di Piala Dunia 2026, termasuk saat menggantikan Tchouameni yang cedera pada laga babak 16 besar melawan Paraguay. Media Prancis Maxi Foot memberikan pujian atas kontribusi performa Kone dalam pertandingan tersebut.

"Starting in place of the injured Tchouaméni, the French midfielder justified the faith shown in him by coach Didier Deschamps. Thanks to his work rate, the AS Roma player held his own in duels despite the Paraguayans' aggression. Accurate in his passing, though not particularly inspired in his playmaking, he wasn't afraid to push forward and try his luck with long-range shots." tulis Maxi Foot.

Media Prancis lainnya, Foot Mercato, juga memberikan penilaian positif terhadap ketenangan sang pemain di lini tengah.

"In Tchouameni's absence, he held the fort perfectly in midfield and managed to keep his composure against the tough opposing midfielders." tulis Foot Mercato.

AS Roma sendiri dilaporkan terbuka untuk menjual Kone demi memenuhi regulasi finansial UEFA, setelah sebelumnya mendatangkan sang pemain dari Borussia Monchengladbach pada tahun 2024 dengan biaya kurang dari 20 juta poundsterling.