Chelsea Push for Roma's Manu Kone in £52m Swap Talks
Sky in Italy reports a £52m bid and a possible Jamie Gittens move to Rome, but Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini says no offer arrived.
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The Proposed Deal
Chelsea are in late negotiations with Italian club AS Roma over a move for France midfielder Manu Kone, according to Sky Sports and FourFourTwo, both citing Sky in Italy.
The reported figure is around 60m euros, or £52m. FourFourTwo says Chelsea have submitted a bid at that level, while Sky Sports describes the sum as having been discussed.
Talks have also covered sending Chelsea winger Jamie Gittens, aged 22, to Roma. Sky Sports describes this as a loan being explored; FourFourTwo frames it as part of a swap to help meet Roma's valuation. Roma have held a long-standing interest in the former Borussia Dortmund player, who has had limited starts in London.
The Enzo Fernandez Link
Kone is being lined up as a replacement for Enzo Fernandez, the Argentina international whose own move to Manchester City is under discussion. Football365 reports Fernandez is rated at £120m and is City's leading target.
Chelsea, now managed by Xabi Alonso, are reported to want their asking price met and a replacement signed before letting Fernandez go. FourFourTwo says finalising the Fernandez exit would clear the path for Kone's arrival.
Football365 also reports that a proposed deal for AS Monaco's Lamine Camara stalled. Journalist Sacha Tavolieri, quoted by the site, blamed intermediaries inserting themselves at both clubs and pushing to raise the fee to cover commissions. Journalist Santi Aouna is cited as saying Kone is now Chelsea's priority over Camara, with only one more midfielder planned.
Roma's Position
Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has publicly rejected the story. "Absolutely not, it is a media thing, I know nothing about it," he said, as quoted by Football Italia and reported by Goal.com and LiveScore.
He added: "I know the owners too do not want to sell. I don't know who approached us, but we have not received any formal offers for him." Sky Sports separately describes Gasperini's reluctance as an obstacle Chelsea must overcome, noting he pushed for Kone to stay when he arrived, and reports Roma are looking at AC Milan's Youssouf Fofana or Marseille's Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg as a replacement.
Kone is 25 and has 19 caps for France, with previous spells in Germany at Borussia Monchengladbach. Sky Sports says he can play at both defensive midfield and further forward, but offers less attacking output than Fernandez: two goals and five assists in the league for Roma over two seasons, against Fernandez's 16 and 11 in the Premier League. Whether any deal is completed is not yet known.
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