Kone Enters the Frame
Manchester City have added AS Roma's Manu Kone to their list of midfield targets, according to Jack Gaughan of the Daily Mail. The French international would cost around £51 million, with Roma having set that asking price.
Kone typically operates as a number six for the Serie A side, though he can also do a job as a number eight. He played a similar role for France at the 2026 World Cup.
The 24-year-old is physically strong, an attribute that would serve him well in the Premier League. He's also a quality ball carrier and covers the pitch extremely well, skills that would fit Enzo Maresca's setup. In possession, he's adept at linking the build-up between defence and midfield and the attacking areas.
There is, however, a caveat. Kone needs to improve his ability to win duels, something that would be tested week in, week out in England.
Midfield Jigsaw
Kone is not the only name on City's radar. The club remain hopeful of concluding a deal for Lille's Ayyoub Bouaddi, while they also retain an interest in Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez. That interest, though, has its limits — City have no intention of paying Chelsea's £120 million asking price for the Argentine.
The pursuit of a new midfielder makes sense given the current state of Maresca's options. Nico Gonzalez showed during the first half of the 2025-26 season that he can play as a number six for City, but he has since fallen out of favour. Tellingly, Mateo Kovacic has been preferred to the Spaniard in midfield.
Whether Kone, Bouaddi, or someone else entirely arrives before the window shuts remains to be seen. But the picture is slowly coming into view.