The path that could lead Manu Koné from Roma to Inter has suddenly heated up. The Giallorossi midfielder has become a primary target for the Nerazzurri club, which has already made a formal offer.

There is now anticipation for Roma’s response, as they seem willing to consider a departure. The negotiations could intensify in the coming hours. While waiting to see what developments will occur, let’s get to know Koné’s profile better with our identikit.

Koné Inter

The Manu Koné deal has heated up in recent hours, with Inter ready to shift the investment initially planned for Ademola Lookman to the Roma player. The stalemate with Atalanta has dragged on too long and the Nerazzurri seem inclined to change strategy.

Koné, in fact, would join the Nerazzurri midfield, allowing Mkhitaryan and Zalewski to move up to the attacking midfield, with Inter possibly giving up a fifth forward, given the excellent preseason performances of Bonny and Pio Esposito.

Koné Transfermarkt

The value of Koné on Transfermarkt is 40 million euros, a figure that seems close to the amount Inter had planned to spend to secure Roma’s approval. The Frenchman arrived in Serie A last year for 18 million euros, but could be sacrificed by the Friedkin-owned club to open up new investments in the market.

Koné Career

Born on May 17, 2001, Kouadio Emmanuel Boris Koné, known as Manu, grew up as a footballer in France before breaking out in Germany with Borussia Moenchengladbach. His professional debut came with Toulouse in 2019, after coming through the youth ranks. With the French side, he played 59 matches, scoring 6 goals.

The move to the Bundesliga came in 2021: 3 seasons at Gladbach (2 alongside Marcus Thuram), with 79 appearances and 4 goals, but also 2 injuries that kept him off the pitch for 2 months each: one to the medial collateral ligament in 2021, and one to the knee in 2023.

Last summer he moved to Roma for 18 million euros, immediately becoming a pillar of the Giallorossi midfield. With the Giallorossi shirt, he earned a regular spot in the French senior national team.

His debut, in fact, came last September 6, against Italy. In total, so far, he has made 8 appearances for Les Bleus. Finally, it is also worth mentioning the Olympic silver medal he won at the home games in Paris.

Koné characteristics

A player with overwhelming physicality, Manu Koné combines power with top-level athleticism. These characteristics make him a player capable of covering large areas of the pitch, making him a very suitable profile for a possible two-man midfield, in Chivu’s mind already in the very first Nerazzurri outings.

In addition to his great athletic qualities, which make him a player able to shield the defense when out of possession, Koné also possesses decent quality on the ball, especially when carrying it forward. However, he needs to improve his quality in the final third. In his first season at Roma, he scored 2 goals and, in general, has never come close to double figures in a single season in his career. In total, in 210 appearances, he has scored only 15 times.