Chelsea given green light to hijack another Arsenal transfer for ‘perfect’ Enzo Fernandez heir
Chelsea could rub salt into Arsenal’s wounds just days after beating them to the signing of Morgan Rogers.
Manu Kone has been heavily linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium this summer(Image: Photo by Baptiste Fernandez/Icon Sport via Getty Images)
Glen Johnson has urged Chelsea to sign Manu Kone from Roma. The 25-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium this summer as Mikel Arteta looks to bolster his options in the middle of the park, but Arsenal are yet to wrap up a deal.
football.london understands that the Gunners are interested in signing Kone, whose contract at the Stadio Olimpico expires in June 2029. It’s said that the Arsenal boss wants to add a full-back, a midfielder, and an attacker to his armoury this summer, and the France international has caught the eye.
Despite ambitions to significantly bolster the squad this summer, at the time of writing, Andrea Berta has so far only managed to activate the option to sign Piero Hincapie permanently and prise Illan Meslier from Leeds United on a free transfer.
With the Gunners under growing pressure to welcome some big names to the Emirates Stadium, having previously missed out on the chance to sign Morgan Rogers, Johnson has given Chelsea the green light to rub salt into their rival’s wounds.
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Speaking to the Metro, the former Blues defender said: “He has been excellent for France. A top midfielder, strong, physical, can use the ball well, pick a pass well, he is a top player, and to get into the French midfield, you must be a good player.
“If Enzo (Fernandez) leaves, he can be the perfect replacement for sure. His attributes seem to be suited to the Premier League, so I don’t think he will have any issues getting used to the game at all.”
Kone made a great impression at the World Cup, earning great praise from Patrick Viera. Speaking on ITV earlier this summer, the Arsenal legend said: “He had a really good season in Serie A with Roma.
“He came to the World Cup after a couple of injuries. It has been quite a difficult season for him. He is, for me, today the best midfielder in France.
“I’d put him ahead of (Aurelien) Tchouameni and (Adrien) Rabiot, because he has this mobility, he is aggressive, he is a ball-winner, and he has the technical ability to be part of the build-up, has the facility with the ball to break lines and move forward.”
Roy Keane reduced Kone’s role in Didier Deschamps’ side as a ‘water carrier’, which was shut down by Vieira. The Gunners legend added: “I don’t really like that word, water carrier.
“He will win the ball, but he has something more than the others, as he can play forward. Sometimes Tchouameni can give you a little bit of frustration, too many passes sideways or backwards, but he’s got more passes going forward.”
Before the World Cup, Kone provided an update on his future at Roma. He said: “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…”
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