Arsenal have reached an agreement with Manu Koné's agent and are considering making an official approach to Roma for the French midfielder. The 25-year-old stood out in the Roman team's midfield last season and helped secure Roma's participation in the Champions League. However, Roma need to register €50 million in capital gains before the end of the month to comply with UEFA financial regulations, meaning many of their best players are being targeted for aggressive bids.
Koné is one of those players. He has already rejected a proposal of around 45 million euros from Atlético de Madrid. Although he is awaiting an offer from PSG, the two-time European champions appear not to be interested in making an approach at this time. This situation puts Arsenal in the equation. The newly crowned Premier League champions are looking to bolster their squad and could be persuaded to accept the €50m price tag Roma have set for the player.
Manu Koné and Mile Svilar are currently Roma's biggest assets, and their financial situation makes the €50 million practically a release clause for both unless a short bid can take place to increase that number. But time is running out and Roma have few options. If, in the case of Koné, Arsenal have already reached an agreement on a personal level, it is up to Roma to find the best deal possible. It is worth noting, however, that Roma spent €18 million to bring Koné to the Olympic Stadium from Borussia Mönchengladbach, while Svilar arrived as a free agent. Thus, Roma would push harder for a fee in excess of 50 million euros and would still have numbers to make up before the June 30 deadline.