“Showdown for Midfield Supremacy: Milan and Roma Clash Over Manu Kone”
Serie A powerhouses Milan and Roma are set to battle for Borussia Monchengladbach’s highly sought-after midfielder, Manu Kone. However, both clubs have alternative options in mind as part of a broader midfield reshuffling.
According to MilanNews, both Italian sides are prepared to offer around €15 million in transfer fees, while Borussia Monchengladbach is holding out for closer to €20 million. This higher figure would account for sell-on fees owed to Kone’s previous club, Toulouse.
Currently, Roma are in a stronger financial position to secure the deal. This is largely due to the additional funds from the Abraham-Saelemaekers swap deal with Milan, along with the possible sale of academy product Edoardo Bove to Premier League club Nottingham Forest. These moves would allow Roma to meet Borussia Monchengladbach’s demands with ease.
If Roma are unable to sign Kone, they will shift their focus to Leicester City’s Boubakary Soumare. Roma coach Jose Mourinho is reportedly a fan of Soumare, and the club has been monitoring his situation throughout the summer transfer window.
On the other hand, while Milan may find it easy to reach a personal agreement with Kone—given that his agent also represents Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan—the club would need to sell Algerian international Ismael Bennacer to make the transfer financially feasible. Although there was interest in Bennacer from Saudi club Al-Qadisiyah, the team no longer has room for players over the age of 21 due to league regulations limiting such roster spots to eight.
Another option Milan is considering is Adrien Rabiot, formerly of Juventus. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Rabiot is seen as Milan’s top choice to strengthen their midfield. The Frenchman would likely be open to joining Milan, given their presence in European competitions and strong standing in Serie A. However, Rabiot’s salary demands could be a sticking point, as his agent and mother, Veronique, is known for driving a hard bargain. Before leaving Juventus as a free agent, Rabiot was earning €7.5 million per season.
Therefore, to accommodate Rabiot’s wages, Milan would almost certainly need to offload Bennacer, who currently earns €4 million per season, in order to create the financial room necessary to provide coach Paulo Fonseca with a stronger midfield.