United make first move for Kone
Manchester United have made the first move and begun formal talks with Roma for France midfield Manu Kone - who is valued at €60million (£51m). United face competition from Arsenal and Liverpool, but in being the first to act they look to have stolen a march on their English counterparts, reports L’Equipe.
The midfielder proved to be a massive hit at the World Cup and that has put a number of clubs on red alert. He managed to dislodge Aurelien Tchouameni from the first-team and was then a big miss during France's loss in the semi-final against Spain.
Although Roma qualified for the Champions League, they still need to offload players and Kone was always the most likely to bring in a major sum with his performances leading to a rising price tag.
Those in Italy also believed that when United backed out of a deal for Atalanta's Ederson it was because they had identified a new target.
The 25-year-old's performances have earned him plaudits from some of the best out there, including compatriot and World Cup winner Patrick Vieira. When addressing the midfielder during the tournament he said on ITV:
He had a really good season in Serie A with Roma. He came to the World Cup after a couple of injuries.
