French midfielder Manu Koné was on Manchester United's wish list for a long time. However, he was not ultimately signed, as AS Roma were not willing to reduce their asking price, forcing United to look for alternatives. However, the 25-year-old ultimately ended up signing for Chelsea.
Though the Red Devils brought in midfield reinforcements before the summer transfer window shut, there are rumours that at least one more central midfielder may join the squad in January, even as the focus has now turned towards rebuilding the backline. Thus, if they had wanted to, Manchester United could have come back for the player had he not inked a deal with their Premier League rivals.
Now, according to a report, Real Madrid superstar and French national team captain Kylian Mbappé played a hand in Koné's Stamford Bridge arrival. Chelsea is currently managed by Xabi Alonso, whose last job was at the Santiago Bernabéu. Alonso, a beloved former player of the Spanish giants, may have lost his dream job unceremoniously after an underpar run, but he had established solid relationships with his players.
When Chelsea started considering Koné as a potential replacement for Enzo Fernández, Alonso didn't hesitate to reach out to Mbappé to enquire about his international teammate. According to reports, Xabi was neutral ahead of his conversation with Mbappé, but the French captain vouched for Koné. Fernández, who was one of the captains of the London side, decided to join Manchester City towards the final phase of the transfer window.
Since Mbappé was full of praise for Koné, Alonso greenlit the move and Chelsea managed to get a swift deal worth €70 million (£60 million) done with AS Roma. The amount they spent on the former Borussia Mönchengladbach midfielder was much more than his initial market valuation.
Koné moved to Roma from Mönchengladbach in 2024. A box-to-box midfielder who can be much more than a conventional number six, Koné can drive forward with the ball, effectively breaking defensive lines. He can help the team build from the back and can successfully break down opposition attacks by pressing effectively. He was an integral part of France's World Cup set-up in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
