Arsenal have agreed personal terms with Roma midfielder Manu Koné.
The 25-year-old France international now waiting on a club-to-club fee agreement before a move to north London is formalised – and Roma’s urgent need to raise €50m in capital gains by June 30 to satisfy UEFA financial requirements means that window is closing fast.
Italian outlet Corriere della Sera reports that Arsenal have already held talks with Koné’s representatives and reached an agreement on personal terms.
The fee negotiation is the remaining obstacle, with Roma publicly holding at €50m (£43m) but privately prepared to accept €45m (£39m), according to the same report.
The Fee – And Why Roma Have to Move
Roma signed Koné from Borussia Mönchengladbach in August 2024 for a reported €18m, meaning a sale anywhere near €45m would represent a substantial capital gain – precisely what the club needs to clear their UEFA accounting threshold before the financial year closes on June 30.
That deadline is not incidental to this story; it is the engine driving Roma’s willingness to negotiate at all.
Arsenal, as previous transfer activity between the two clubs has demonstrated, know how to operate when a seller is under structural pressure. Sporting director Andrea Berta is expected to submit a formal offer before the end of June, with most reports suggesting talks will intensify over the next fortnight. Whether Arsenal attempt to negotiate below the €45m floor – ESPN had earlier placed their opening approach closer to €40m – will determine how quickly this closes.
What Koné Brings – And Why Arsenal Need Him
Koné made 34 appearances in all competitions in his debut season at Roma, becoming a fixture under Gian Piero Gasperini and playing a central role in the club’s third-place Serie A finish. Standing at 1.85m, he profiles as a physically imposing, press-resistant No.8 – the kind of midfielder who does the unglamorous work that lets more…
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