Man United target Manu Kone blasted by French media after Spain humbling

Man United target Manu Kone has been criticised by French media after he struggled in their World Cup loss to Spain.

France were sent home from the World Cup at the semi-final stage on Tuesday as Spain progressed to the final with a 2-0 victory.

Goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro saw La Roja earn a win in Dallas, with the majority of French players underperforming with the pressure on.

Roma star Kone was one of those who struggled as he was introduced at half-time for Adrien Rabiot.

He has been heavily linked with a move to Man United this summer as Michael Carrick aims to bolster his midfield options.

They may be reconsidering their interest after his subpar showing for Les Bleus, with national media unhappy at his lack of tenacity and presence.

French media slam Manu Kone for being 'too soft' against Spain

25-year-old Kone registered five goal contributions in 37 appearances for Roma last season to earn a spot in France's World Cup squad.

He played the full 90 minutes in two of their group matches against Iraq and Norway, then also started in knockout ties against Paraguay and Morocco.

Didier Deschamps went with Rabiot and Aurelien Tchouameni against Spain, but hooked the former at the interval after he was booked early on.

Kone came on and won just one of his six ground duels, while he committed two fouls and lost Porro for Spain's second goal.

French media were not happy with the showing, as Footmercato wrote: "Found himself outplayed by Spain. Overwhelmed by La Roja’s technical quality, the AS Roma player had too little impact in winning back possession. And in terms of his contribution to the game, it was limited."

Then Maxifoot's review followed a similar theme, as they said: "He failed to turn the tide. Outplayed in his challenges, the AS Roma midfielder was too soft in his tackling and, crucially, allowed Pedro Porro to break free following a one-two with Dani Olmo that led to Spain’s second goal."

While L'Equipe were also disappointed with Kone, writing: "He fell well short of the standard he had been capable of reaching during the tournament. He was unable to make his presence felt as he usually does, was overpowered by the Spanish midfield and failed to break Les Bleus free from their stranglehold."

What has Kone said about his future at Roma amid Man United links?

Sources have revealed to Football Insider that Man United are interested in Joao Gomes as they look to add another midfielder to their ranks alongside new signings Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans.

Several midfielders remain on their radar, and Fabrizio Romano has claimed that the club have held talks with Kone's representatives but are yet to approach Roma over a move.

The 25-year-old recently made it clear that he would focus on his future after the World Cup, saying: “Honestly, right now I’m only thinking about the World Cup. It’s my first major international competition, a tournament I’ve always dreamed of playing in. I want to remain exclusively focused on this. We’ll talk about the future after the World Cup and see what happens."

United should now be able to accelerate a move for Kone following his exit, that is, if they still wish to after he struggled against Spain.