Real Madrid have added another name to their list of midfield contingency options with the transfer window closing, and this one carries a familiar Roma postcode. According to the Spanish paper AS, cited by ONE, the European champions are closely monitoring Manu Koné and have already sent scouts to watch the Frenchman in person on several occasions.
Koné, 25, joined Roma from Borussia Mönchengladbach in the summer of 2024 and has become one of Serie A's more understated success stories since, prized for his tackling, his composure under pressure and a relentless engine that covers ground for both defence and attack. He completed 90 percent of his passes in Roma colours last season, according to the report, and has earned 19 caps for France.
Roma tied him to a contract running until 2029, and any move would not come cheap: the club have set a price of roughly €60 million, a figure AS effectively treats as the going rate to prise him away this window.
Crucially, AS frames Madrid's interest as conditional rather than active. The Bernabéu club would only push for Koné if they lose a midfielder of their own before the deadline — the report does not name a specific outgoing player, only that an unexpected departure would trigger the move.
Roma's own position adds intrigue. Coach José Mourinho said this week that his squad is settled but acknowledged the market's unpredictability: "My squad is closed, but the transfer market is open. You can't know what will happen. What if a player comes to me and says he wants to leave because I left him on the bench for two matches?" Mourinho did not reference Koné by name.
Real Madrid are not alone in circling the Frenchman. AS and other outlets have also linked Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea with a move, part of a broader scramble among Europe's leading clubs for battle-tested Serie A midfielders as deadline day approaches.
For now Koné remains a Roma player and nothing in the report suggests talks are underway. But with Madrid's scouts already tracking him and the fee effectively priced in the market's eyes, his situation is one worth watching through the final days of the window.
