Manchester United's push for Manu Koné is being driven by a simple problem, they need midfield help and they need it quickly. AS Roma are not making that easy. They are reportedly asking for €55million (£47m) for Koné, and even an offer of €50m (£42.5m) would not be enough.

United could start their pre-season campaign against Wrexham in Helsinki on July 18 with Mason Mount as the only recognised senior midfielder in Michael Carrick's squad. That is a serious squeeze before the games against Wrexham, Rosenberg in Trondheim and Atletico Madrid in Stockholm, which run from July 18 to August 1.

Roma's price and leverage

The fee is the biggest obstacle. Roma's stance suggests they are in no mood to sell cheaply, and their league finish helps explain why. They ended third in Serie A on 73 points, a position strong enough to support a premium valuation for one of their midfielders.

Tony D'Amico's financial situation at Roma also points in the same direction, with the sporting director said to be managing a transfer strategy that relies heavily on capital gains to satisfy Financial Fair Play rules. That does not make Koné impossible to sign, but it does make him an expensive answer to United's problem.

United's own league form is not the picture of a club in trouble. They are third in the Premier League on 71 points and have gone WWDWW in their last five league matches. Even so, the midfield rebuild looks unfinished, and the current depth is thin enough that Mount's 7.2 rating in the final league game and his 211 minutes across the last five matches stand out.

Arsenal's early move

Arsenal make the race harder as well. Reports in mid-June said they agreed personal terms with Koné after talks with his representatives, which means United are not dealing with a blank market. Corriere della Sera also reported that the Gunners had talked to his camp and reached an agreement after the World Cup.

That head start matters in a summer chase like this, because it leaves United trying to catch up on both price and timing. Roma's valuation is firm, Arsenal have already done part of the work, and United are still trying to solve a midfield shortage before pre-season gets going. The next check comes on July 18 in Helsinki, when the first friendly against Wrexham is due.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →