Man United transfer news: Red Devils 'target' another France star as Tchouameni pursuit ends

Manu Kone has been one of the outstanding midfielders of the 2026 World Cup with France, and his performances in North America are attracting serious interest from some of Europe's biggest clubs, with Manchester United the latest to add him to their summer shortlist.

The 25-year-old has stepped into a prominent role for the French side following a thigh injury to Aurelien Tchouameni, who had been the first-choice starter in midfield for the group stage and the round of 32 against Sweden.

Tchouameni was absent for the quarter-final against Morocco on Thursday, and in his place Kone partnered Adrien Rabiot in what proved a commanding central performance in a 2-0 win.

Kone earns rave reviews from France's quarter-final win

L'Equipe handed Kone a 7/10 rating against Morocco — the joint-highest of any player in the match alongside Kylian Mbappe — with the paper noting his exceptional energy levels throughout.

Replaced by Warren Zaïre-Emery on 71 minutes, the former Toulouse midfielder recovered six balls in that performance and completed 92 per cent of his passes.

Across the tournament as a whole, his numbers make for impressive reading: a 92.8 per cent pass completion rate, 83.3 per cent on long passes and an average of 5.54 ball recoveries per 90 minutes, among the best figures for any midfielder at the competition according to FotMob data.

His ability to win possession in the opposition's final third has also been a notable feature of France's high press under Didier Deschamps.

United eye Kone as third midfield signing

According to TeamTalk, Manchester United have added Kone to their midfield shortlist as they seek a third engine-room signing to complement the incoming arrivals of Andrey Santos and Ederson.

Roma are understood to be prepared to sell the France international for a fee in the region of £49m this summer, with the Italian club under pressure to generate sales.

Kone previously turned down a move to Atletico Madrid and is understood to harbour ambitions of joining PSG, who have tracked the player over an extended period but are yet to move formally.

The Premier League is also an attractive prospect for the midfielder, with Arsenal and Chelsea also believed to be monitoring his situation.

Whether Kone's World Cup form is enough to convince Paris to act, or whether a Premier League club moves first, remains to be seen — but the competition for his signature is intensifying.