United pushing to strike agreement for 6’1 midfield monster, next week could prove to be decisive – report

Manchester United and Aston Villa have already crossed paths this summer, and it appears there could be another transfer battle on the horizon. United have officially announced the arrival of Youri Tielemans, having triggered the release clause in his Villa contract to secure his services. The Birmingham club had no desire to part ways with their midfield engine. Earlier today, Fabrizio Romano reported that Villa have reached an agreement to sign long-term United target Joao Gomes. Manchester United pushing to sign Manu Kone Manchester United are believed to be in the market for a defensive midfielder who can complement the likes of Youri Tielemans and Kobbie Mainoo in the middle of the park. With Gomes now off the market, United’s shortlist of aggressive ball-winners has certainly become shorter. However, the Red Devils are keen on signing AS Roma midfielder Manu Kone, although Aston Villa are also interested. According to Sportmediaset, Kone is attracting strong interest from the Premier League, which is a destination he favours. It is believed Atletico Madrid were the first to make a move for the French midfield dynamo, but he turned them down. The offers from England are reportedly considered far more attractive, with United, Aston Villa and Chelsea leading the pack for the midfielder who offers a unique blend of technical ability and physical dominance. Manchester United in contact with Manu Kone’s agents Meanwhile, according to Thursday’s edition of Corriere dello Sport (16th July, Page 19), increasingly persistent signals continue to emerge from the Premier League for Kone. The newspaper covers Rio Ferdinand’s recent comment about Kone on his YouTube channel. The former United defender seemed confident that the Red Devils have agreed to sign the 25-year-old midfielder in a deal worth €53 million. The Italian publication reveals that although United have made initial contact with the France international’s representatives, Roma have denied Ferdinand’s suggestions of an agreement between the two clubs. Manu Kone Serie A stats: 2025/26 Season Appearances29 Minutes per game85 Touches61.4 Key passes0.9 Accurate passes42.7 Interceptions 0.6 Tackles 1.7 Source: Sofascore It is understood Roma’s valuation of Kone is higher than the figure Ferdinand mentioned his in his video. The report adds that next week could prove to be decisive, now that France are out of the World Cup, as Kone had asked his agents to put all transfer talks on hold. Featured image Paolo Bruno via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Vishal Singh Vishal has worked in the football media industry for over six years, planning, writing, and editing content for several major outlets, including North Star Network. Vishal has a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Delhi University. Currently a writer at The Peoples Person, he covers Manchester United — a club he has been religiously following and supporting since 2012. Vishal also manages a leading MUFC fan page, The Red Devils, on Facebook with over a million likes. Big fan of ball-playing centre-backs and Harry Maguire’s knee-slide celebration!