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Manchester City have reportedly made Roma midfielder Manu Kone one of their main transfer priorities for the final fortnight of the summer window. Enzo Maresca is keen to strengthen his midfield choices after a number of big-name departures, and the France international has emerged as a strong fit to add the dynamism the Premier League champions now need.

Manchester City are looking for midfield reinforcements

Manchester City have placed Kone on their shortlist of possible signings before the approaching transfer deadline, according to The Guardian. Under new manager Enzo Maresca and sporting director Hugo Viana, the club are in the middle of a major midfield rebuild.

City have already lost Rodri, Bernardo Silva and Tijjani Reijnders in high-profile exits this summer, creating a clear gap in the centre of the park.

Although they recently completed the signing of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest in a huge £116 million deal, the Manchester club are still searching for more quality to make sure they are fully equipped to defend their domestic title this season.

World Cup star drawing major attention

Kone raised his profile on the global stage after a string of impressive performances for France at the 2026 World Cup. The 25-year-old played in five of his country's eight matches during the tournament in North America, with France winning all four games in which he was named in the starting line-up.

His outstanding displays for the national side led Roma to raise their asking price to around £51m, a figure that appears to have discouraged Manchester United from taking their earlier interest any further.

City, however, are now in a strong position to match those demands, particularly after bringing in significant money from the recent sales of Reijnders to Al-Qadsiah and Rodri to Barcelona.

Bouaddi and Fernandez also feature on midfield shortlist

As well as their move for Kone, City are edging closer to an £85m deal for Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi. The 18-year-old is regarded as an exciting prospect, but Maresca wants the top-level experience that Kone would be able to offer straight away. City also continue to hold an interest in Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez, though an internal deadline connected to his release clause has now passed without any formal offer being made.

What next for Manchester City?

Maresca and his players are getting ready to begin their new Premier League season against Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium. Away from the pitch, Viana is facing a hectic final two weeks of the transfer window. City need to wrap up their pending outgoing deals quickly and send an official proposal to Roma if they want to bring Kone into the squad before the September deadline.