United’s nightmare summer window takes new twist as rivals advance in race for Ederson alternative – report

Manchester United have numerous players on their list of targets for their midfield rebuild. Summer work so far Youngster Cristian Orozco is scheduled to join the club soon from Fortaleza FC. The club have also reached an agreement with Chelsea over the signing of Brazilian midfielder Andrey Santos. United have also recently been linked with options such as AFC Bournemouth’s Alex Scott and LOSC Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi. Manu Kone Another player the club has been linked with lately is AS Roma midfielder Manu Kone. The 25-year-old has hit the headlines in recent weeks, playing a key role for France at the World Cup as they have so far advanced to the semi-final stage. It was reported last week that Kone was being lined up as a potential replacement if the Ederson deal collapsed, which has now come to pass. There were reports over the weekend that United were keen to pay €50m (£42.7m) for the player, but that Roma were demanding negotiations begin at £47 million. Complication Unfortunately, United’s transfers do not happen in a vacuum and other interested parties can swoop in at any time. The Kopite View report that Liverpool “have registered their interest in Manu Koné.” The site also adds that, “according to the latest information, personal terms are not expected to present any issues should Liverpool decide to move forward with a deal.” It is also believed that “Liverpool’s interest is currently more advanced than Manchester United’s” for the World Cup star. The website asserts that Kone would bring much-needed energy and physicality to the Liverpool midfield. These are qualities United are also looking to add to their midfield department during this summer window. 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 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 Alex Browne Alex is a huge Manchester United fan, inspired by greats of his homeland such as George Best, Harry Gregg and Norman Whiteside. Alex has a Master’s degree from Queen’s University Belfast and La Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Tarragona, Spain. Having lived in the country since 2011, Alex is The Peoples Person’s Spanish football expert and is fluent in both Spanish and Catalan. He dreams of witnessing a United captain triumphantly hoisting the Premier League and Champions League trophy in the air once more.