Chelsea are in advanced talks over Manu Koné, with a move that could be worth around £52 million still alive but not settled. AS Roma are reluctant to sell, and the structure of the deal may matter just as much as the price. One part of that structure is a possible Jamie Gittens loan the other way, as Roma look for a new attacking winger on deadline day.

Roma's stance and the price being discussed

Angelo Mangiante of caughtoffside.com said “the deal could be worth around £52 million”, while football-italia.net reported Chelsea's bid as close to €60m. That is the figure being discussed, not a completed transfer. Sky Sport Italia also said Chelsea's £52m offer is circa €60m, which lines up with the same valuation range.

Roma's reluctance is not hard to understand. They have won five straight, and that kind of run is usually not the moment to start trimming the midfield. Chelsea, by contrast, have gone W L W L D in their last five, which helps explain why the club are still pressing for a quick addition before the window closes.

Koné's profile and Roma's hesitation

The player Chelsea are chasing is not being sold as a luxury signing. Enzo Fernández is the reference point here, because Koné is being framed as the more physical, more defensive midfielder, with greater athleticism, ball-carrying ability and defensive intensity. Didier Deschamps said Koné “played a good game despite receiving an early yellow card” and added, “I don’t want to compare him to Paul, as he still has a long way to go.”

Last season, Koné made 37 appearances across all competitions for Roma and scored twice. Those are not headline-attacking numbers, but they do show why Roma are hesitating. This is a 25-year-old midfielder in the middle of his rise, and the club are being asked to let him go while they are still winning games.

Chelsea's next game is away to Arsenal on 2026-09-06, so the timing is tight even if the negotiations keep moving. If the deal goes through, the main question will be whether Roma accept the money, the Gittens piece, or both before then.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 5 outlets. How we work →