Wilcox already knows elite midfielder is ready to join United, he’s absolutely perfect for Carrick – report

Manchester United once again turned to the Premier League to strengthen their squad, having signed midfielders from Chelsea and Aston Villa in recent days. However, early in the window, United’s director of football, Jason Wilcox, demonstrated that he is prepared to look elsewhere in search of ideal profiles for Michael Carrick’s side. This is why Wilcox was keen on signing Ederson, an aggressive runner and strong dueller, from Atalanta before the Brazilian failed to pass his medical. Manu Kone has “everything” Manchester United need Manchester United have signed Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos, but they still lack a physically dominant midfielder capable of covering a lot of ground. In that pursuit, another Serie A gem has caught Jason Wilcox’s attention. According to TEAMtalk, the United recruitment team have been seriously impressed by what they have seen from AS Roma midfielder Manu Kone. Kone showcased his exceptional technical ability and positional awareness at the World Cup, outperforming more popular names like Aurelien Tchouameni in North America. “He has been a key player for Roma, he has become a trusted player under Didier Deschamps for France. United feel he has matured, and that is appealing. Yes, he does not have Premier League experience, but they think he has everything they want and need,” Graeme Bailey told TEAMtalk. Jason Wilcox aware of Manu Kone’s desire to join Manchester United TEAMtalk’s transfer correspondent believes Kone is “one of the more serious options” for United, who are now in the hunt for a third midfielder. The 25-year-old is thought to be available for a fee of around £51 million, which makes him even more appealing to the United hierarchy. 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 Furthermore, United is a “huge appeal” to the Roma midfield dynamo, and his camp have “made that known to Jason Wilcox et al.” Earlier today, The Peoples Person relayed a report from Italy claiming the Red Devils are expected to make an offer for Kone in the coming days. 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!