Man Utd Prepare £43m Bid To Sign The 'Best Midfielder In France'

Manchester United are preparing a bid worth in the region of £43million for Roma midfielder Manu Kone, who they view as an alternative to Ederson, according to Sport Mediaset. Kone has impressed for France at the World Cup this summer, following another excellent season in Serie A, where he contributed to five goals in 37 appearances across all competitions. These feats have sparked interest from several top clubs, including United, Arsenal and Newcastle United. The Red Devils are in need of significant midfield reinforcements after reports emerged on Friday suggesting their move for Atalanta star Ederson has collapsed at the eleventh hour. The Old Trafford hierarchy have identified Kone as a viable alternative, and they are now readying their first offer for the Frenchman. Manchester United preparing bid for Manu Kone United completed the signing of Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos earlier this week, acquiring the Brazilian from the Blues for a reported £50million. However, after qualifying for the Champions League and after losing Casemiro, this addition does not signal the end of their midfield recruitment drive this summer. Ederson was supposed to be lined up as one of the other reinforcements in this department, but the Atalanta man's switch to Manchester is now in serious doubt. Reports surfaced on Thursday indicating that United have held talks with Kone's representatives, and it now appears the Red Devils are looking to initiate contact with Roma over the player. Sport Mediaset (via SportWitness) suggest that a €50million (£43million) offer is set to be tabled by the Premier League heavyweights. Gazzetta dello Sport insist that Roma won't accept anything less than this valuation for the 25-year-old, so it remains to be seen whether this prospective bid will be accepted. With competition from multiple English sides for Kone's signature, it's likely Roma will look to start a bidding war between interested parties, meaning United may end up having to fork out significantly more than this initial offer to land the World Cup star. Manu Kone isn't a good fit for Manchester United Kone, who has been described by Patrick Vieira as the "best midfielder in France" during the World Cup, is an excellent player who has demonstrated his quality on the biggest stage this summer. That said, his fit for what United currently need in their midfield is questionable. In Santos, Michael Carrick has added an energetic box-to-box midfielder who can get on the end of moves while providing stamina in the middle of the park. Kone arguably has more to his game than this, but he doesn't provide enough different tools to make it worth the investment. The France international is excellent defensively, while he offers ball progression via aggressive carries through midfield. What he doesn't provide is metronomic passing. United are crying out for an elite possession player who can dictate the tempo of their build-up through their distribution. As good as Kone is and could be in a United shirt, he doesn't solve this issue.