Chelsea Begin Talks To Sign £43M Rated France International Who Could Replace Enzo Fernandez
Chelsea have discussed a deal with Roma for midfielder Manu Kone, according to reports in the Italian media.
The two teams have been in talks about transfers for Alejandro Garnacho, as well as Strasbourg’s Diego Moreira.
However, the Corriere della Sera (via Sport Witness) claim that Kone’s name also came up in conversation.
The France international had an impressive World Cup, and it is believed that Roma are open to selling him for €50m (£43m) as they look to balance the books.
Why are Chelsea interested in the player?
Manager Xabi Alonso is looking for a deep-lying midfielder, which was demonstrated by the pursuit of Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka.
The departure of Andrey Santos to Manchester United has increased the need for reinforcements, and there are still doubts over the future of Enzo Fernandez.
While Kone would not be a like-for-like replacement for the Argentinian playmaker, the Corriere della Sera claim that the interest in the Frenchman is partially motivated by concerns that Fernandez could still be offloaded before the transfer window closes.
Kone has several Premier League clubs pursuing him
Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool have all been credited with an interest in the 25-year-old over the past couple of weeks, and Chelsea may have an uphill battle if one or more of the trio do get involved due to the fact they can offer the player Champions League football.
Of course, as we saw with the signing of Marco Palestra, it is not the be-all and end-all, with the young Italian having turned down Serie A champions Inter Milan to make the switch to Stamford Bridge.
Kone may have different motivations but Alonso has already shown that he possesses considerable pulling power when he gets involved in negotiations. It is certainly a transfer to keep a close eye on over the coming days.
