Chelsea close in on Manu Kone as Enzo Fernandez nears Manchester City move

Chelsea are close to signing Roma midfielder Manu Kone for about £52m as they continue negotiations with Manchester City over the proposed sale of Enzo Fernandez.

The move for the France international is being planned as a replacement for Fernandez, who is himself nearing a transfer to Manchester City in a deal understood to be worth around £140m.

According to Sky Sports, Chelsea are approaching an agreement with Roma for Kone, with the negotiations taking place at the same time as discussions over Fernandez’s possible departure from Stamford Bridge.

The two clubs are also considering a deal that would see English winger Jamie Gittens join Roma on loan as part of the wider negotiations.

Chelsea’s interest in Kone could have consequences beyond the Premier League, with the 25-year-old also having been identified by Real Madrid as a potential future addition to their midfield.

Real Madrid scouts have followed Kone for some time, according to Spanish newspaper AS, and have attended matches to assess his performances for Roma. He had emerged as one of the players being considered to strengthen the Spanish club’s midfield in future transfer windows.

Real Madrid had decided not to make any further signings during the current transfer window, but had kept the possibility of pursuing Kone at a later stage under review. The club had also anticipated that Premier League sides could attempt to sign him in the future.

Chelsea’s move now appears to represent the first serious development in that regard and could take one of Real Madrid’s leading long-term targets off the market.

Kone is contracted to Roma until the summer of 2029 and has established himself as one of Europe’s leading defensive midfielders. His qualities include strength in winning the ball and in physical duels, an intelligent approach to pressing and a high level of passing accuracy.

He completed 90% of his passes in Serie A last season, further increasing his profile among clubs looking for a combative but technically reliable midfielder.

Kone also enhanced his reputation with France during the 2026 World Cup. He stepped in during Aurelien Tchouameni’s absence and produced notable performances against Iraq, Norway, Paraguay and Morocco.

If completed, his move to Chelsea would remove one of Real Madrid’s most prominent future midfield targets from their plans. It could also become one of the biggest surprises of the final hours of the summer transfer window.

The proposed switch is closely linked to Chelsea’s expected midfield reshaping. Fernandez’s possible move to Manchester City would leave the London club seeking a replacement, while Kone’s profile has made him the preferred candidate to fill that role.

For Roma, the agreement would provide a substantial fee for a player who remains tied to the club for four more seasons, while the possible loan move for Gittens could form another part of the discussions between the clubs.