Roma and France international Manu Kone in a Man United kit at Old Trafford

Man United are set to battle for Manu Kone's signature this summer.Manh Tung - Breaking Media

Manu Kone: The Olympic medallist who could hold the key to Man United's midfield

Senior Correspondent AUTHORITY Senior football journalist specialising in refereeing and officiating; former contributor to The Football League Paper, Late Tackle, and the Premier League; University of Derby graduate. FOCUS Refereeing controversies, football finance and governance, PGMOL decisions, and officiating analysis across the Premier League, EFL, and SPFL. THE INSIGHT Harri utilises a network of officiating and industry contacts to deliver verified, expert analysis of refereeing decisions and PGMOL policy. He provides the regulatory clarity behind the controversy to ensure fans get the full picture.

Published on:

14 Jul 2026, 7:30 pm

Manu Kone already looks to be the perfect signing to make up a trio of midfield signings at Manchester United this summer.

Michael Carrick has already added Andrey Santos to the squad for £50million, with Youri Tielemans possibly just hours away from joining.

With Casemiro gone and Manuel Ugarte injured, making improvements in the middle of the park is vital if Man United are to get back to their former glory.

Despite a difficult couple of seasons at Old Trafford, Casemiro became one of the first names on the teamsheet, and has now left a huge hole in the squad.

Kone, who is currently starring for France at the 2026 World Cup, is strongly linked with United and Aston Villa, and Carrick simply must strike a deal.

The 25-year-old signed permanently for Roma just last summer, but the Italian side's manager has suggested that Kone could be sold to "balance the books".

Manu Kone takes on leadership role at 2024 Olympics

A price tag of £51m may actually be a bargain for a midfielder who has 18 caps for the France national team, and also has an Olympic medal.

Starring under Thierry Henry, the 25-year-old was a key part of the French reached the 2024 Paris Olympics before eventually losing in extra time to Spain.

This turned out to be a turning point in Kone's career, having taken a leadership role at the Olympics, and then joining Roma on loan.

It's been an incredible career for the defensive midfielder so far, and a move to the Premier League looks to be the ideal next step at this stage.

Given Man United's current situation, game time wouldn't be hard to come by, and despite the club's struggles over the last decade, very few can turn down the opportunity to play at the Theatre of Dreams.

AC Milan ready to sanction 'cut-price' Rafael Leao deal as Man United line up signing

Michael Carrick in 'very hard' position thanks to Manchester United's Mason Mount mistake

What do the stats say about Kone's 2026 World Cup?

Kone has started four of France's games at this summer's World Cup, being benched against Senegal and Sweden, battling Aurelien Tchouameni and Adrien Rabiot for a spot.

However, in those four games, he has been very impressive, keeping a 92 per cent passing accuracy, creating three chances, and making over five recoveries per 90 minutes [FotMob].

He also ranks in the top 89 percentile for winning possession back in the final third across the tournament, while also winning 1.58 fouls per 90.

The midfielder has proven to be just as important in the attacking third as he has in the defensive third, and he will be keen to add more silverware to his cabinet next season.

Aurelien Tchouameni