Manchester United have agreed personal terms with Roma midfielder Manu Kone, with Corriere dello Sport reporting a breakthrough in negotiations over recent days.
The Red Devils are pushing to sign the 25-year-old French international for a fee of at least £42m, though an agreement between the two clubs is yet to be finalised.
United manager Michael Carrick has made the signing of a third central midfielder a clear priority this summer, following earlier deals for Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans.
Kone raised his profile significantly at the recent World Cup, where his performances were impressive enough to keep Aurélien Tchouameni out of the French starting eleven.
United had previously attempted to sign both Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga from Real Madrid, but both players are now expected to remain at the Bernabeu.
With those avenues closed, attention has shifted firmly toward Kone, who has emerged as the preferred candidate to strengthen the engine room at Old Trafford.
The Roma star completed 90% of his passes last season and completed 62% of his attempted dribbles, with the latter ranking him in the top 15% of all midfielders across Europe’s top-five leagues.
Those figures stand in sharp contrast to the numbers produced by Santos during his time at Chelsea, where he created just 0.3 chances per 90 and completed 0.2 successful dribbles per 90.
Santos ranked in the bottom 20% of Premier League midfielders in both of those categories, while also registering just 3.4 ball recoveries per 90, placing him below 90% of his peers.
The Brazilian started only 13 of his 27 Premier League appearances for Chelsea in 2025/26, raising questions about whether he is the ready-made option Carrick requires this season.
Kone’s defensive output also drew praise, with one analyst labelling him a “monster” in midfield, making more tackles and ball recoveries per 90 than Santos managed in the Premier League.
His ability to create chances from deep positions and play more passes into attacking areas aligns closely with what Carrick demands from his central midfielders.
At £42m, many observers believe United would be securing excellent value for a player of Kone’s calibre, particularly if he continues his development trajectory at Old Trafford.
If the deal is completed, Kone is expected to move ahead of Santos in Carrick’s midfield pecking order, potentially limiting the Brazilian’s opportunities throughout the 2026/27 campaign.
United secured third place in the Premier League last season and returned to Champions League football, making the pressure to recruit effectively this summer all the more significant.