Liverpool have a handful of gaping holes in the squad to address under Andoni Iraola this summer.
And according to AS Roma Press, the Reds are looking to make a move for Manu Kone, who has enhanced his reputation at the 2026 FIFA World Cup for France.
Kone was linked with a move to Liverpool in the summer of 2023 when Jorg Schmadtke was in charge of transfers under Jurgen Klopp.
However, despite the speculation, the Reds signed Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo that summer, with Kone moving to Roma later.
But now, it appears as if it could be second time lucky for Liverpool as they have joined the race for Kone this summer.
Liverpool back in the hunt for Manu Kone
Kone was one of the best midfielders in Serie A for Roma and earned a call-up to the France squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup ahead of Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga, which was a big show of faith from Didier Deschamps.
He wasn’t expected to play too many games, but due to Aurelien Tchouameni’s injury, he showed his class in the centre of the park alongside Adrien Rabiot.
And now, according to the aforementioned report, the Reds are back in the hunt for him. However, Manchester United are also in the hunt for him, especially after pulling the plug on their deal to sign Ederson from Atalanta earlier this month.
Kone is tied down at Roma until 2029 and the Serie A side will drive a hard bargain as his performances at the World Cup have put them in a position to demand a massive fee.
High praise for Kone
Patrick Vieira is one of the greatest midfielders in French history. And during the ongoing World Cup, the former Arsenal captain referred to Kone as Les Bleus’ best midfielder, which is high praise considering the talent in their squad.
“He is for me, the best midfielder in France today,” said Vieira via Metro.
“I would put him ahead of Aurelien Tchouameni and Adrien Rabiot because he has got this mobility to move around the pitch.”
“He is aggressive, he is a ball winner and he has got this technical ability to be part of the build-up. He can break lines and play forward.”
After missing out on him three years ago, the Reds are back in the race for Kone, who has developed admirably in Italy in that period.
Roma’s asking price remains unclear, though, but this is one worth watching as the midfielder is a historic target for the Reds.
