Roma Reject Inter’s Approach for Midfielder Manu Koné

AS Roma turned down Inter Milan’s bid for midfielder Manu Koné. The club decided to keep him despite interest from their Serie A rivals.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Inter Milan offered about €45 million for 24-year-old Manu Koné to strengthen their midfield. Roma considered the offer but rejected it, telling Inter they won’t sell Koné. The Friedkin family, who own Roma, don’t want to sell Koné. New coach Gian Piero Gasperini sees him as an important player. As reported, Inter has stopped trying to sign Koné and will now look at other options in the transfer window’s last weeks.

WHY ROMA ARE KEEPING KONÉ

Koné was important for Roma last season, playing in 32 league games with four goals and five assists. He played over 2,700 minutes. Roma finished fifth, just two points away from Champions League qualification, as noted in a previous report confirming Roma’s standings in Serie A. Despite talk of selling players to buy others like Jadon Sancho, Roma sees Koné as untouchable. This shows how important he is to Gasperini’s plans.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR BOTH CLUBS?

Roma starts their Serie A season against Bologna on Sunday. They want to reach the top four after missing out last season. Bologna finished 9th and won the Coppa Italia, while Roma almost made the Champions League. Inter, last season’s runner ups behind Napoli will play Torino, who finished in the middle of the table. With the transfer window closing soon, both clubs need to finish their squads. Inter may look at other midfield options or try again for Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman, as indicated in a recent report that they made a bid for him.