Manchester City Eyes New Midfield Target

Manchester City has reportedly identified Roma midfielder Manu Koné as a potential target to bolster their squad following the departures of Rodri and Tijjani Reijnders. The two midfielders left the club this week, bringing in a combined total of approximately £110 million for the Citizens. However, this has left manager Enzo Maresca with gaps to fill in his squad just days before the Premier League season kicks off.

City hopes to finalize a deal for Lille's defensive midfielder Ayub Bouadi, valued at £85 million, in the coming days to strengthen that area of the pitch.

According to the Daily Mail, Koné, who made five appearances for France during the World Cup, is also on the transfer target list before the window closes. The 25-year-old has spent the last two seasons in Serie A, scoring four goals in 63 matches for Roma, but is more renowned for his dynamism and excellent off-the-ball work.

Roma has reportedly set an asking price of around £51 million for Koné – a sum close to what Al-Qadisiyah paid for Reijnders.

Koné, who has 19 caps for the French national team, started four of the 'Les Bleus' matches in North America this summer and came on as a half-time substitute in their semi-final loss to Spain.

Meanwhile, City maintains its interest in Enzo Fernández, after Chelsea's unofficial deadline for a £120 million deal passed without a formal offer. The Argentine midfielder is keen to work with Maresca again, but the Etihad club is reluctant to meet the Londoners' financial demands.

At the same time, Manchester City is in advanced talks with Tottenham for the sales of Savinho and Omar Marmoush. The total value of both deals is expected to exceed £140 million. Maresca recently hinted that both players are considering their futures due to a lack of sufficient playing time last season.