Manu Koné is back on the market watchlist after David Ornstein said Liverpool like the AS Roma midfielder and Chelsea had already come close in the summer. Chelsea agreed personal terms with Koné and reportedly sent Roma a €65million (£56m) offer, but the move then stalled. Ornstein also said Koné made five appearances for France at the World Cup.

Chelsea's summer move

The Chelsea piece is the clearest part of this story. Ornstein said Koné “came very close to joining Chelsea before they pivoted to Lamine Camara,” and the reported offer gives that chase some weight. A €65million (£56m) bid is not the sort of figure clubs toss around for a player they are only casually monitoring.

That move did not land, and Roma kept him. Tony D'Amico said, “Kone is an important player; we're happy that he remained with us.” The club view mattered then, and it still matters now.

Roma's position before January

Ornstein’s own line is the one that keeps the winter story open: “Let’s see what position Roma are in at the time in terms of European football and financial compliance.” Roma are 16th in Serie A in the current 2026 table, while they finished 3rd in 2025 with 73 points and a +28 goal difference.

That contrast is why the January conversation may not be the same as the summer one. Roma were operating from a far stronger base last season, but the current league position adds pressure and makes any sale decision harder to read from the outside.

Liverpool are part of that uncertainty too. Ornstein said he thinks Liverpool like Koné as “one of their potential future options,” and Ben Jacobs added that Liverpool never intended to add another midfielder following the departure of Curtis Jones to Inter. Jacobs also said the only way they would have bid for Camara over the summer was if Alexis Mac Allister had departed.

So the picture is not one club trying to steal a march. It is Liverpool and Chelsea circling the same midfielder again, with Roma’s place in Europe and their finances likely to decide whether January turns interest into a real opening.

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