Manu Kone to Aston Villa from AS Roma
Verdict Delivered
This rumor DIED. It was dropped from the board after going quiet, last rated 6%.
| Move | AS Roma → Villa |
| Outcome | Never happened |
| Rated at the end | 6% |
| Resolved | July 28th |
Villa's interest in the France midfielder traces to a single burst of Italian reporting in mid-July and has not been refreshed since, which is why the board carries it as a stale link rather than a live pursuit. Corriere dello Sport reported on July 14th that Villa had made a concrete approach for Kone, moving to challenge Manchester United, who had already contacted his agent and were said to be ready to offer around EUR 50m. Roma manager Gian Piero Gasperini had opened the door the day before, pointing to the club's need to balance its books and predicting more clarity "in the coming weeks"; Roma have since held out for EUR 60m. Everything reported after that date concerns United rather than Villa. United agreed personal terms with Kone in principle around July 23rd, and Fabrizio Romano reported on July 26th that they had been offered Carlos Baleba and Danilo but want only Kone, with Roma pressing for a resolution before the end of the month and growing frustrated at the absence of a formal offer. No fresh Villa-specific reporting has followed the July 14th approach, and the deal would in any case sit awkwardly alongside the GBP 97.5m already committed to Johan Manzambi and Joao Gomes for the same area of the pitch.
This page is kept as part of our public track record — every rumor's final outcome stays published against the likelihood we gave it.
How the Story Moved
| Date | What changed | |
|---|---|---|
| July 15th | Tracked | Rumor opened on the board at 22% (contact) — source: GiveMeSport / CaughtOffside. Villa are reported to have made a concrete approach to gather information on the 25-year-old France midfielder, one of the standout performers of the World Cup, after Amadou Onana's knee injury and Youri Tielemans's move to Manchester United thinned the pivot. Roma value Koné at around €60m but may soften their demands before July 31st to avoid a UEFA financial penalty; United are weighing a move of their own, leaving Villa with competition for the signing. |
| July 17th | Verdict | Rumor died — dropped from the board at 22% |
| July 18th | Tracked | Rumor opened on the board at 11% (linked) — source: FootballFanCast / CaughtOffside / The Peoples Person. Villa are reported to have gathered information on the 25-year-old France midfielder and to have joined the race for a move after Amadou Onana's ACL and Youri Tielemans's exit thinned the pivot, with a July 17th FootballFanCast piece framing an attempt to jump the queue ahead of Manchester United. United remain the clear frontrunners, willing to pay around €50m, and Chelsea are also credited with interest; Roma are standing firm at around €60m amid their own financial constraints. Villa's involvement is secondary and no bid has been lodged — a soft story resting on aggregator coverage for now, and one that looks less pressing after Villa completed Johan Manzambi and all-but-completed João Gomes for the same midfield. |
| July 26th | Verdict | Rumor died — dropped from the board at 11% |
| July 27th | Tracked | Rumor opened on the board at 22% (contact) — source: Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness). Villa's interest in the France midfielder traces to a single burst of Italian reporting in mid-July and has not been refreshed since, which makes it a stale link rather than a live pursuit. Corriere dello Sport reported on July 14th that Villa had made a concrete approach for Kone, moving to challenge Manchester United, who had already contacted his agent and were said to be ready to offer around EUR 50m. Roma manager Gian Piero Gasperini had opened the door the day before, pointing to the club's need to balance its books and predicting more clarity "in the coming weeks"; Roma have since held out for EUR 60m. Everything reported after that date concerns United rather than Villa. United agreed personal terms with Kone in principle around July 23rd, and Fabrizio Romano reported on July 26th that they had been offered Carlos Baleba and Danilo but want only Kone, with Roma pressing for a resolution before the end of the month and growing frustrated at the absence of a formal offer. No fresh Villa-specific reporting has followed the July 14th approach, and the deal would in any case sit awkwardly alongside the GBP 97.5m already committed to Johan Manzambi and Joao Gomes for the same area of the pitch. |
| July 28th | Verdict | Rumor died — dropped from the board at 22% |
Timeline reflects our tracking history since the rumor joined the board, not every media mention. For everything Villa, live: the Verdict homepage.