Manu Koné is a twenty-four-year-old central midfielder hailing from France and currently plying his trade at Roma. Standing at a sturdy 6ft (1.85m) and weighing in at 12st 8lb (80kg), Koné illuminates the majestic scenery with his proficient midfield interceptions. He dons the number 17 jersey and has had the honour of representing his nation, France, in the beautiful game.
Our French midfield maestro had his market value estimated at around £42.5m according to an evaluation by Transfermarkt.
In July 2016, Koné got his first taste of professional football, joining the French Ligue 1 outfit, Toulouse, as a trainee. During his debut season at Toulouse (2018-2019), Koné merely scratched the surface of first-team football with a single league appearance. Despite the limited game time, his tenacity earned him 13 league appearances in the following 2019-2020 season. Koné's breakthrough arrived in the 2020-2021 season, where he solidified his position in the team, making 36 league appearances and opening his goal account with three goals.
In a high-profile move in July 2021, Koné swapped the French soil for Germany, joining Borussia Monchengladbach of the Bundesliga with a transfer estimated to be around £8.1m. He continued his professional growth in German football, making 27, 30 and 22 league appearances in the subsequent three seasons, bagging a total of four goals.
A chapter ended and another began in August 2024, as Koné was sent out on loan to Italy, signing with the Serie A club, Roma. He took the Italian footballing stage by storm, amassing 34 first team appearances and netting two goals in the 2024-2025 season. This impressive performance must have been instrumental in convincing Roma to seal a permanent move for Koné in July 2025, a transfer approximately worth £15m. Arresting the attention of Italian fans, he continued his form with 34 appearances and two goals. The current season (2025 - 2026) has seen him make 14 appearances so far for his Italian masters.
It would be criminal not to mention Koné's contributions to France in the 2024 Olympics and to Roma in the Europa League 2025 - 2026. With four starts in the Olympics and three starts with two substitute appearances in the Europa League, this midfield maestro keeps on proving his worth to the world of football.
