Manchester United are reportedly becoming the frontrunners in the race to sign Manu Kone as the Red Devils look to complete the full-scale makeover of their midfield for next season.
A deal between Manchester United and Roma could be very close as Roma, according to Pete O'Rourke: "Roma are prepared to accept offers for Manu Kone, amid interest from Man United."
There have been some rumours floating around today that United have not committed fully to a player in particular or even a third midfielder at all; however, these reports do heavily suggest that Kone could be the next in line to sign for United this summer.
Furthermore, according to @CorSport: "United are prepared to submit a £47m bid, and a formal offer could arrive as early as tomorrow."
A fee that looks remarkable in this current market, which is seeing many other midfielders move for over £100 million, similar to the Youri Tielemans transfer that many fans believe was a bargain.
He would bring height and physicality to United's midfield in place of Casemiro, and although his injury record is not the greatest, United will not be so heavily reliant on him after the acquisitions of Tielemans and Andrey Santos.
United also have, of course, Kobbie Mainoo, Mason Mount, and skipper Bruno Fernandes to fill the midfield and be part of the much-needed squad rotation amid the busy schedule this upcoming season.
Are Chelsea still fighting?
Chelsea will definitely still fight for the player's signature, as their current midfield situation is arguably much more dire than Man United's.
After letting their highly-rated Andrey Santos leave to join rivals Manchester United, letting one of their top midfield targets also go to the Red Devils could really harm their chances of a top-four finish for the new season.
Moreover, with the Blues looking extremely likely to sign Morgan Rogers for a British record transfer fee of £117 million, the sale of midfield starlet Enzo Fernandez looks more and more likely in order for them to ensure that they abide by FFP rules.
If this ends up being the case, then they will need to find a cheap replacement, which would ideally be Manu Kone for just £47 million.
This does imply that United and Chelsea could enter into a bidding war for the France international's signature as he is almost the perfect signing for both teams' current situation.
What else do United need this summer?
Although Manu Kone would hypothetically be United's fourth signing of the summer to add to a squad that finished third last season, they should not need the end of their business in the window just yet.
The first position that they will probably look at is left-back. With Patrick Dorgu now being seen as a winger, Luke Shaw is now the only true senior left-back at the club.
Despite managing to start every league game last season, that feat was a complete anomaly for Shaw, and the likelihood of him getting some form of injury next season is quite high, leaving Harry Amass as the only other left back at the club.
Another position that United may look to strengthen is the left wing position. They have been linked with moves for the likes of Iliman Ndiaye, Crysencio Summerville, and Ibrahim Mbaye; however, the potential targets are not the issue for United.
Before signing a winger, they need to decide the futures of Marcus Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee. If Rashford stays, then a move becomes incredibly unlikely; however, if he moves on and so does Zirkzee, then United either treat Matheus Cunha as more of a striker and buy a winger, or see Cunha as a winger and buy another striker.
Kone would be a key signing for Manchester United, and it would be a huge win if they beat Chelsea to signing him; however, their transfer puzzle is far from complete just yet.
