Breaking down claims Man Utd will sign powerhouse Roma midfielder in exchange for Zirkzee

Manchester United have been backed to sign one of Serie A’s standout midfielders who’s said to be ‘very keen’ to join them, but what are the realities of a potential deal?

In 2026, Man Utd will be focused primarily on strengthening their midfield. Not just one, but two new players are wanted to reinforce the position. In an ideal world, they would make their first signing in January, before adding another player in the summer.

For the first signing, they would prefer a player who can make an instant impact in the Premier League, most likely one that’s already playing in it. However, that might be easier said than done, since those players will come at a high price and may be hard to move mid-season.

But imagining they do get their way, United would then look further afield to add an international profile to their midfield in the summer.

And that’s where the latest rumours have come in, with Ruben Amorim’s side said to have a summer deal lined up for Roma midfielder Manu Kone.

Francesca Teodori told AS Roma Live‘s Twitch channel: “It’s not news, but it’s a fairly credible rumour. I’ve been told by multiple sources that he’ll leave Roma in June and join Manchester United.

“I don’t know if this has anything to do with the Zirkzee deal. He might have been included as a sort of counterpart. This remains to be seen, but what’s certain is that Kone is very keen on the destination and it looks like he could join United in June.”

As Teodori mentioned, United and Roma have already been in negotiations over a January move for Joshua Zirkzee to leave Old Trafford and return to Serie A. But could Kone really move in the opposite direction in the following transfer window?

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Kone’s Man Utd links cross-examined

If United are serious about signing Kone, they will have to refer back to Inter Milan’s failed pursuit of him in the summer.

Inter made an offer believed to be north of €40m (around £35m) before Roma told them in no uncertain terms he was not for sale.

There would have been uproar in Rome if the Kone sale to a Serie A rival had been sanctioned, less than a year after they bought him from Borussia Monchengladbach.

The 24-year-old remains under contract with Roma until 2029, but they are likely to face further interest in his services before then.

Even if he hasn’t quite been as dominant as he was last season, he still stands out largely for his ball-carrying ability and strength in the middle of the park.

Roma usually play in a 3-4-2-1 formation as well, so if Ruben Amorim was to persevere with the same shape for United (which is looking increasingly less certain, even by his own admissions), Kone could fit in seamlessly.

However, he isn’t (yet) the kind of midfielder who gets lots of goals and assists. That said, he isn’t a destructive defensive midfielder either. Kone’s style of play suits a box-to-box role the most, although his lack of goal contributions may make some question his transfer worth in the modern game – especially if Roma stick to their asking price.

It’s worth considering if they would be as precious over his valuation if selling to a non-Italian club. Although Inter have often finished above Roma in recent seasons, the gap was close in the form table by the end of last season, so they didn’t want to strengthen a team they were looking to catch.

Selling to United, or anyone else outside of Italy, on the other hand, may ease their concerns over how costly an exit would be.

But it must be stressed that this rumour hasn’t come from a prominent source for Roma news – either the reporter or the platform itself.

Before United fans get carried away about the prospect of Kone lining up for them next season, they should wait for more reputable sources to share information on the topic.

More Man Utd transfer news: Gallagher/Diomande/New centre-back

In seemingly more pressing Man Utd news, Fabrizio Romano has revealed the exact fee they will need to pay to sign Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid.

Gallagher might not tick the box of playing in the Premier League currently, but he does tick the box of having done so before and being an England international.

In other news, United’s interest in RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande has been confirmed – but sources have raised doubts over if he has a release clause and can be signed in January.

Sources have also revealed United have drawn up a shortlist of around 10 names as they consider making a centre-back signing earlier than expected.