Man City move to hijack Arsenal agreement with AS Roma star after record Elliot Anderson deal | OneFootball

Manchester City have made an enquiry over French midfielder Manu Kone despite a belief Arsenal had already agreed personal terms with the AS Roma star, as per a new report.

Kone has emerged as one of the more sought-after central midfielders on the market this summer following an impressive season in Serie A, with his physicality, range of passing and ability to dominate the ball in tight spaces drawing considerable interest from across Europe’s top leagues.

Arsenal had appeared to be the frontrunners for his signature, with reports from Italy earlier this month suggesting that the Gunners were closing in on a deal and that personal terms had already been agreed with the 25-year-old ahead of a proposed move to the Emirates Stadium.

Report: City make contact as second midfielder search continues

According to journalist Damiano Er Faina, Manchester City have now made contact over a potential deal for Kone – an enquiry that would place them in direct competition with Arsenal for a player understood to have already committed in principle to moving to north London this summer.

The development underlines City’s intent to add not one but two central midfielders before the window closes, with director of football Hugo Viana understood to be pursuing a second profile alongside the expected arrival of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest.

Sandro Tonali of Newcastle United has also been mentioned in connection with City’s midfield search, though no concrete approach has yet been confirmed for the Italy international.

What does City’s interest mean for Arsenal’s Kone pursuit?

Arsenal’s own midfield reinforcement plans extend beyond Kone alone, with Alex Scott of Bournemouth and Sporting Lisbon captain Morten Hjulmand also understood to be on Mikel Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta‘s radar ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

Whether City’s enquiry is enough to unsettle an agreement that appeared relatively advanced on Arsenal’s side remains to be seen – but the emergence of the Etihad Stadium as a competing destination adds a significant complication to a deal that looked close to completion only days ago.

Kone’s final decision and the speed with which Roma are willing to engage with either party is likely to determine which of English football’s two most ambitious rebuilding projects he ends up at this summer.