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Manchester United have reportedly reached an agreement to sign France international Manu Kone from Serie A club Roma, as revealed by former United defender Rio Ferdinand.

The Red Devils are keen to build on the momentum from Michael Carrick’s strong performance as manager in the latter half of last season, and the club’s hierarchy is determined to provide him with the right reinforcements for the upcoming campaign.

United finished third in the Premier League last season, earning a spot in next year’s UEFA Champions League — a boost that has strengthened their transfer budget this summer.

INEOS, United’s new footballing leadership group, has already added two midfielders to the squad — Andrey Santos from Chelsea and Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa — as they aim to solidify the team’s core.

However, midfield remains a crucial area of focus, and Ferdinand, citing information from journalist Fabrizio Romano, stated that Manchester United have now agreed to pay £45 million to secure Roma’s star midfielder Kone, who impressed during the recent World Cup with his performances for France.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ferdinand said: “Fabrizio Romano just confirmed that Manchester United have agreed a £45m fee for Kone from Roma, the French international midfielder.”

Earlier in the summer, United had reportedly reached an agreement to sign Atalanta midfielder Ederson, but the deal collapsed earlier this month, ending those negotiations.

There has been speculation that the club could revive their interest in Ederson later in the window, though Fabrizio Romano has dismissed the possibility of such a U-turn.

Nevertheless, football agent Dario Canovi believes that Ederson could indirectly assist Manchester United in completing the Kone transfer, as Roma might consider pursuing Ederson as a replacement if Kone moves to Old Trafford.

Speaking to Pagine Romanisti, Canovi commented: “He would be yet another key player leaving our league to move abroad. It’s another indication of the decline of our domestic competition, as many Italian clubs are forced to sell their best players to stabilise their finances.”

He added: “I always maintain that the buying club determines the player’s market value. Even though €50 million is still a massive amount compared to a few years ago, there’s no doubt that losing Kone would be a major blow for Roma.”

When asked whether Ederson could serve as Kone’s replacement at Roma, Canovi replied: “I really like Ederson; he’s a complete midfielder. He was among the top players in the league for ball recoveries, but he also has the creativity to provide assists and score goals. I’m sure Gasperini would give his approval for such a transfer.”