Roma’s season has acquired another face in Manu Koné, whose two goals against Inter at the Olimpico offered more than a memorable Saturday night. They suggested a midfielder moving into a different role within Gian Piero Gasperini’s side: still forceful in the contest, but now arriving where matches are decided.
The coach and the club
Gasperini has given Koné a more advanced responsibility without removing the qualities that made him central to Roma’s midfield. Against Inter, Bryan Cristante dropped towards the defensive line and took charge of the opposition’s most advanced player, leaving Koné with greater licence to operate closer to the penalty area.
The Frenchman responded with an all-round display against Nicolò Barella and Piotr Zielinski. He covered ground, recovered possession and imposed himself physically, but the lasting image was his two finishes. Koné had long been seen as a midfielder with range and intensity but insufficient end product; before this match, he had scored four times in his first 67 Serie A appearances.
At the Olimpico, he answered that question emphatically. His late runs and work in the final third reflected the change encouraged by his coach: a player who can break up play and carry the ball, while also attacking space inside the area.
Roma have seen him emerge as a leading figure over the opening five matches of the season. The club resisted interest during the summer, keeping a player whose importance has grown alongside the team’s ambitions.
A value rising with his influence
Koné had attracted the attention of major European clubs before this latest step forward. Diego Simeone pushed to bring him to Atlético Madrid in July, while Chelsea considered a €60 million proposal towards the end of August, although no formal bid was submitted.
Roma’s decision to retain him now looks increasingly significant. A fee of €60 million is no longer presented as a finishing point for his valuation, but as a possible starting line. The market will ultimately determine the figure, yet comparisons have already been drawn with Mateus Fernandes’ €99 million move to Tottenham, Sandro Tonali’s €108 million transfer and Elliot Anderson’s €135 million switch to Manchester City.
On that basis, a nine-figure valuation for Koné is becoming part of the conversation. It remains a figure that would need to be tested by a genuine offer, but his performances are raising expectations around a player who has added goals to his established midfield authority.
A place in Roma and France
Inter had admired Koné before he arrived in the capital, while Atlético Madrid, Chelsea and Real Madrid have all been linked with possible routes away from Rome. Instead, he has remained at the Olimpico, where the club and coach are benefiting from his development.
His progress has also been recognised internationally. Zidane included Koné in his first France squads as national-team coach, confirming the midfielder’s standing beyond Serie A.
Settled in Rome, where his girlfriend has moved to join him, Koné has become a source of energy and balance for Gasperini’s side. He is no longer merely the player who wins duels in midfield. He is becoming one who can alter a match in the opposition box, and Roma’s Scudetto hopes will depend in part on how far that evolution can go.
