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 creative players operate freely.
He has 14 senior caps for France and is part of Didier Deschamps’ 2026 World Cup squad. Micah Richards, appearing on Metro, was direct in his assessment: “France with that forward line are up there too – people talk about their midfield but Koné in midfield is outstanding. Kanté is still there and you know you are going to get hard work. With all the talent in front, you need people behind them who know what needs to be done.”
Arsenal’s need for midfield reinforcement this summer is well-documented. The club’s broader summer strategy points to three or four additions across multiple positions, with a new midfielder, a left-winger, and a striker all identified as priorities following the Premier League title win – their first in 22 years.
Koné’s Own Position
Koné, asked directly about the transfer speculation ahead of France’s World Cup opener against Senegal, gave the standard deflection – but notably did not deny the interest. “Honestly, right now I’m only thinking about the World Cup,” he told reporters. “It’s my first major international competition, a tournament I’ve always dreamed of playing in. I want to remain exclusively focused on this. We’ll talk about the future after the World Cup and see what happens.”
Goal reports that Koné’s representatives are looking to accelerate the paperwork and complete the move by end of June, which aligns precisely with Roma’s financial deadline and Arsenal’s pre-season calendar.
The Verdict
This is not a rumour dressed up as a deal. Personal terms agreed is a meaningful threshold – Berta has shown since arriving at Arsenal that he moves methodically and does not open player-level discussions without genuine intent. The fee gap between €40m and €50m is real, but Roma’s June 30 deadline compresses their leverage considerably. If Arsenal come in at €45m before that date, this deal gets done. Inter Milan’s reported monitoring of Koné is the one variable worth watching – any competing formal bid would force Arsenal’s hand on price.
