Man City join Man Utd in Kone race - Thursday's gossip

What the report says

Manchester City are being linked with a move for Roma midfielder Manu Kone, according to BBC Sport Football’s transfer gossip round-up, which says the Premier League champions could compete with Manchester United for the 25-year-old France international. The item is based on reporting attributed to the Mail and follows earlier interest in Kone from United this summer.

The same roundup also says Aston Villa are weighing up Chelsea defender Tosin Adarabioyo as a possible replacement option after Arsenal’s move for Ezri Konsa, while Benfica have also contacted Chelsea about the 28-year-old. In another City-related report, Tottenham are said to be in talks over a deal for two Manchester City players, winger Savinho and forward Omar Marmoush, with the Athletic cited as the source.

BBC Sport’s digest includes several other transfer links across Europe and the Premier League, including interest in Harry Kane’s Bayern Munich contract situation, Sunderland’s possible bid for Sporting winger Geny Catamo, and Everton’s reported pursuit of Como winger Assane Diao. The roundup is a broad snapshot of late-summer transfer speculation, with many of the claims still framed as interest, contact or monitoring rather than completed deals.

As with most gossip columns, the significance is less about confirmed movement than about which clubs are positioning themselves ahead of the new season and where squads may be reshaped if negotiations progress.