Piero Torri has put Manu Koné back into the centre of the market, saying the midfielder is not willing to turn down Premier League offers. That sits neatly alongside reports that Tottenham have made their own enquiries and are assessing the conditions of a potential £40 million deal, while Arsenal are now described as having cooled their interest.

Tottenham's opening

Tottenham's push matters because it arrives at the moment Arsenal's grip looks looser. The reports on the Arsenal side are not full of certainty, with Koné no longer viewed as a key objective at the Emirates Stadium, and that gives Spurs a clearer path than they would have had earlier in the summer.

Koné's own profile helps explain why the interest has stuck. Across 2025/26, he has made 37 outings in all competitions, passed 2,500 minutes and added two goals and three assists. That is not a throwing-darts profile, it is the kind of volume clubs pay for when they think a midfielder can drop into the side quickly.

Roma's pressure and the price question

Torri also said Roma's situation is delicate enough that a key player may need to leave before June 30, with Koné the name he would put on that list. He added that Koné is open to Premier League offers, which is where the real leverage now sits for Tottenham.

The price question is still messy. Torri argued that if Tottenham are prepared to spend €80-€85m on Sandro Tonali, then Koné being priced at roughly half that does not add up. That is why this looks less like a straight race for a target and more like a test of who believes the valuation is right, with AS Roma under enough pressure that a sale cannot be ruled out.

What Tottenham have done is create a live opening. Arsenal are not being described in the same way they were earlier, Koné is open to the move, and Roma's finances are adding their own strain. The next concrete marker is whether Spurs turn their enquiries into a formal offer before the market shifts again.

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