Manchester City have entered the race to sign Roma midfielder Manu Koné, setting up a fresh transfer battle with Manchester United as Enzo Maresca continues to rebuild his squad following Pep Guardiola’s departure.

City have identified the 25-year-old France international as a potential addition before the summer transfer window closes, according to the Daily Mail. The report states that City have added Koné to their list of midfield targets.

The interest has also been independently reported by the Guardian, which values the Roma midfielder at around £50m.

The move reflects how significantly City’s midfield has changed since Guardiola’s exit at the end of last season. Both Rodri and Tijjani Reijnders left the Etihad Stadium in the summer, leaving Maresca short of options in that area of the pitch despite an already busy window.

City have already brought in Elliot Anderson and are working to complete a deal for Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi, but Koné’s athleticism and ball-carrying ability from central midfield mean he remains an attractive option for Maresca as he looks to put his own stamp on the squad he inherited.

Koné, who joined Roma from Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2023, has established himself as one of the more sought-after midfielders in Europe over the past year. With his combination of physicality and progressive passing making him a target for several Premier League clubs.

United face fresh competition after weeks of interest

City’s move complicates matters considerably for United, who have been tracking Koné for several weeks as Michael Carrick searches for a third midfield signing this summer. Despite already adding Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos to his ranks, United also want Koné, according to CaughtOffside.

Sky Sports had previously reported that Koné, along with Brighton’s Carlos Baleba, were among the players being strongly considered as United hunted for a dynamic addition to Carrick’s midfield.

Roma are believed to be holding out for a fee in the region of €60m (£51m) and have already received enquiries from a number of clubs, with the Serie A side seemingly braced for a busy final stretch of the window.

United’s interest predates City’s, and there is no suggestion that talks between the Old Trafford club and Roma have collapsed.

For City, the pursuit of Koné fits a wider pattern this summer as Maresca looks to freshen up a midfield that has lost two of its most influential performers in Rodri and Reijnders.

However, neither City nor Roma have commented publicly on the reported interest, and no fee or timeline for a possible move has been agreed.

As with any transfer story at this stage of the window, City’s rumoured interest in Koné remains speculative until confirmed by the clubs involved.