Roma almost lost midfield star Manu Kone to Chelsea earlier today in a move that would have absolutely gutted their lineup. The deal, which was gaining some serious momentum, would have seen Kone jump ship to replace Enzo Fernandez. But then, in a wild turn, manager Gian Piero Gasperini put his foot down, shutting the whole thing down. Seriously, this was a bullet dodged.
The Friedkins Almost Let Kone Walk for €60 Million
La Gazzetta dello Sport dropped some serious intel on how this whole drama unfolded. It turns out the Friedkins, Roma’s owners, were straight-up contacted by Chelsea’s ownership about snatching up Kone. The deal was nearly done, too, looking like a cool €60 million cash plus a loan with an option to buy for Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, a winger Gasperini actually wanted! A meeting was even locked in for 12 pm Italian time to finalize everything. But hold up, when Gasperini caught wind of this, he went absolutely ballistic. He’d told the club only last night that he wanted to keep Kone.
Gasperini Fought Back, and Roma’s Title Charge Stays ON
Gasperini sees Kone, a Les Bleus star who impressed against Lecce on Monday, as a totally key player for his squad. Losing him, especially when things are finally clicking, would’ve been a massive blow to their momentum. So, what did the furious coach do? He hit up sporting director Tony D’Amico, and together, they took their beef straight to the Friedkins. That direct intervention immediately stalled the deal, and then, thank the football gods, it totally fell through. Roma had already started looking at alternatives, with AC Milan’s Youssouf Fofana emerging as a candidate, but now they don’t have to. Kone is staying put, and that gives the team a huge boost. It means they can genuinely mount a title charge. Gasperini isn’t an easy guy when things don’t go his way, so Roma really avoided a disaster here.
With Kone staying, Roma’s title aspirations are still very much alive, and that’s exactly what fans want to see. Look for Kone to keep being that key player, driving the team forward and proving Gasperini’s trust was well-placed as they push through the season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply