Manchester United have been given just six days to complete the signing of Roma midfielder Manu Kone, according to reports. The Red Devils have already recruited two new players to boost their midfield ranks, which was a top priority for Michael Carrick heading into the summer window.
Andrey Santos became United’s first summer signing earlier this month, arriving from Chelsea in a deal worth around £50million. He was quickly joined by Youri Tielemans, who joined the club from Aston Villa in a £35m agreement. Despite those signings, United are still believed to be looking for another midfielder to replace Casemiro following the expiry of his contract.
Kone could be the player to fit that mould, given that he is comfortable playing in a deeper role in addition to being deployed as a box-to-box midfielder.
He enjoyed an impressive World Cup with France and his exploits have reportedly attracted United’s interest ahead of the new Premier League season.
It’s claimed that while personal terms have already been agreed, a transfer fee is yet to be determined and it may only be a matter of days before Roma are no longer willing to negotiate.
That’s because they want to finalise a deal before August due to the terms of a financial settlement agreement with UEFA, according to Corriere dello Sport.
It’s claimed that Roma have imposed a six-day deadline on United to “meet the parameters of the settlement”, which expires at the end of this month.
Under the terms of the settlement, the Italian giants reportedly need to sell one star player to comply with financial regulations and avoid a significant fine.
Mile Svilar and Evan Ndicka were listed as possible departures, but it now appears that Roma are set on allowing Kone to leave.
However, it remains to be seen if United will be able to successfully negotiate a transfer fee before the deadline expires.
The report adds that Roma value the midfielder at around £51million, but the Red Devils would prefer to strike a deal in the region of £43m.
It’s said that Roma are becoming frustrated behind the scenes, with the sale of Kone able to provide much-needed funds.
United have also been linked with a potential move for Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, who played alongside Kone at the World Cup.