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Gasperini vetoed Chelsea move for Koné worth €61m plus Gittens
·2 September 2026·50d ago

Gasperini vetoed Chelsea move for Koné worth €61m plus Gittens

Source: GialloRossi.net

Manu Koné remained at Roma because head coach Gian Piero Gasperini blocked his departure to Chelsea on the final day of the transfer window. Chelsea had tabled an offer of 52 million pounds—approximately 61 million euros—plus a loan move for winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, a Roma target in the closing stages of the market. The deal would have generated a profit of roughly 50 million euros for Roma, given Koné's current book value of just over 10 million euros.

Gasperini made clear to the club and ownership that he would not accept losing a cornerstone midfielder on the last day of the window. The timing was decisive: selling Koné in July or early August would have allowed time to find a replacement, but offloading him hours before the deadline posed an unacceptable risk. Beyond the calendar pressure, Gasperini was unwilling to dismantle a midfield that had proven highly effective in Roma's strong start to the season. The midfielder had long been viewed as potentially expendable for substantial offers, but the sudden nature and timing of Chelsea's assault changed the calculation. Gasperini's refusal to weaken an already well-functioning squad outweighed both the prospect of a major profit and the addition of Gittens, a player the coach valued for strengthening the attacking department.

The French midfielder's sale would have been an economically advantageous transaction. Koné represented one of the fundamental elements in Roma's effective setup at the start of the campaign, and dismantling that mechanism at the last moment would have constituted an enormous risk in Gasperini's view. His decision ultimately prevailed despite the financial incentives and the possibility of reinforcing the forward line. Koné stayed at Roma, securing one satisfaction for Gasperini on a day when the attacking winger the coach had been awaiting did not arrive.

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Story Coverage2 sources on this story

Gian Piero Gasperini successfully blocked Manu Koné's departure to Chelsea on the final day of the transfer window, preserving Roma's midfield at a critical moment in the season. Chelsea tabled a significant offer—reported variously as €60 million or €61 million (approximately 52 million pounds)—plus the loan of winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens. Get Italian Football News reports that a meeting to finalise the transfer was scheduled for 12pm Italian time on 1 September before Gasperini learned of the negotiations and intervened. Forza Roma adds that Gasperini and sporting director Tony D'Amico escalated the matter to ownership, the Friedkins, causing the deal to collapse. The transaction would have generated a substantial profit—around 50 million euros—given Koné's book value of just over 10 million euros.

Gasperini's refusal to sell stemmed from both timing and tactical conviction. GialloRossi.net notes that while Koné had long been viewed as potentially expendable for major offers, selling him hours before the deadline posed an unacceptable risk; earlier sales in July or August would have allowed time to find a replacement. The coach had made his position clear at a press conference on 31 August, telling reporters: "No one has ever spoken to me about departures, neither Koné nor anyone else. Especially not at this moment, 24 hours before the market closes." Forza Roma reveals that Roma had already begun exploring alternatives, with AC Milan's Youssouf Fofana, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Naby Keita identified as potential replacements. Gasperini valued both Koné's contribution to Roma's strong start and Gittens as reinforcement for the attacking department, but dismantling the midfield at the last moment outweighed both the financial incentive and the prospect of adding the winger.

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Testo Originale / Source Text

“Manu Koné è rimasto alla Roma soprattutto per volontà di Gian Piero Gasperini. È questo il retroscena raccontato oggi dalla Gazzetta dello Sport sull’ultima, convulsa giornata di mercato giallorossa. I contatti avviati con il Chelsea nella giornata precedente sono proseguiti anche ieri mattina,…”

Read the full article in Italian at GialloRossi.net.

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