Mora's Record Fee: Eighth-Most Expensive U19 in Serie A History, Could Reach Podium

Manchester City have added Roma midfielder Manu Koné to their list of midfield targets, according to reports confirmed on 20 August by journalist Ben Jacobs. City, following Rodri's departure, are seeking two midfielders and have already advanced contact with Bouaddi and prepared a fresh offer for Chelsea's Enzo Fernández. Koné is among the profiles under consideration, with updates expected in the coming days. Koné's future remains uncertain despite recent reassurances over his Roma future. The French midfielder had been flagged as a likely departure this summer, but only Atlético Madrid's offer—deemed unsatisfactory—materialised on Roma's desk early in the transfer window. Manchester United had also shown interest previously. Roma are keen to avoid losing one of their key midfield players and will likely resist any bid. No official approach from City has been confirmed beyond the scouting interest. Developments are expected soon as City accelerate their search to fill the void left in their engine room.

Roma have less than two weeks left in the transfer window and must balance incoming reinforcements with outgoings. While it remains difficult to move Koné on, both Soulé and Ziółkowski are on the market. Ziółkowski arrived in the capital a year ago but has not convinced head coach Gasperini and may now generate useful revenue for the club's balance sheet. Roma's sporting director awaits offers, but the club is already preparing a defensive contingency plan. Koulierakis has arrived and will serve as Mario Hermoso's backup in theory, but should Ziółkowski leave, the club intends to plug the gap by signing an experienced centre-back on loan rather than permanently. In recent days, Oosterwolde of Fenerbahce was offered to Roma. The approach reflects the club's preference to maintain financial flexibility while addressing defensive depth before the window closes.

Roma radio pundits debated the club's transfer activity on 20 August, with analyst Lorenzo Pes cautioning against departing with key squad members. Speaking on Teleradiostereo, Pes said: "The sale of an important player at this stage of the market would be a problem if Soulé or Koné left: you would have to replace them in a significant way." He noted that Jan Ziółkowski has market interest and Roma could generate a healthy profit there instead. Ugo Trani, also from Teleradiostereo, assessed Roma as incomplete ahead of the window's close, saying the final market evaluation could range from 6.5 to 8 out of 10 depending on whether a major signing arrives. He discussed multiple targets: Cacciamani as the "easiest to take" but more of a versatile player than an out-and-out striker, Udogie as the preferred option though with cost complications, and Nkunku as a fit for Gasperini's system but at high expense. Piero Torri (Radio Manà Manà) backed Udogie over Cacciamani as a more structurally robust profile for a wide midfielder role. Paolo Marcacci (Radio Radio Mattino) flagged Manchester City's interest in Koné as a scenario to monitor, and suggested Fofana would have been a more useful acquisition than Mora for Roma's needs.