Man Utd to use Marcus Rashford to swap for Manu Kone: Salary hurdles pose a challenge for AS Roma.

Manchester United are actively seeking personnel solutions to strengthen their midfield, with AS Roma midfielder Manu Kone becoming a top priority target. However, the €60 million asking price from the Italian club is forcing the Old Trafford side to carefully consider and propose a player exchange deal involving Marcus Rashford.

Manu Kone's valuable asset and the midfield dilemma.

Manu Kone has attracted considerable attention from experts following a series of impressive performances at the 2026 World Cup. The French international stands out for his smooth press-breaking skills and powerful one-on-one tackling ability in midfield. Kone's presence is considered the perfect piece to increase mobility and ball recovery capabilities for Manchester United's midfield.

Recognizing the importance of this deal, the Man Utd leadership was extremely eager to secure the signature of the French midfielder. However, the €60 million price tag set by AS Roma created a significant financial barrier, forcing the Red Devils to propose including Marcus Rashford in the deal as a way to reduce the cash outlay.

The obstacle posed by Marcus Rashford's high salary.

Although a player exchange could help both sides resolve the professional and transfer value issues, the deal quickly encountered a major sticking point regarding Marcus Rashford's salary. The English star currently earns a net salary of around 10 million euros per season, plus an additional 2.5 million euros in performance-related bonuses.

If they agree to sign Rashford, this enormous income would immediately make the 1997-born striker the highest-paid player in Serie A. This figure exceeds the current wage bill capacity of the Italian capital club.

During negotiations, AS Roma prioritized loaning Rashford for the next season, while also demanding that Manchester United continue to bear the majority of the striker's salary. This one-sided offer from the Italian club was immediately rejected by the English team, causing discussions between the two clubs to quickly reach a deadlock.

FFP pressure and potential transfer scenarios

Currently, Marcus Rashford's potential move to the Olimpico Stadium is considered very low by observers due to disagreements over financial structure. The vast difference in demands between the two sides makes a player exchange deal unlikely to materialize.

However, the pursuit of Manu Kone is not yet completely closed for Manchester United. AS Roma is currently under pressure to sell the French midfielder outright during the summer transfer window to meet and strictly comply with Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations. This opens up an opportunity for the Red Devils to restart negotiations with a direct transfer offer in the near future.