Chelsea need to pay £86m to sign French star

Chelsea may need to pay a significant fee to sign Roma midfielder Manu Kone during the winter transfer window, according to Corriere dello Sport.

The Blues were determined to land a new midfielder before the summer transfer deadline. They had a verbal agreement in place with Monaco for Lamine Camara, but the French outfit cancelled the deal at the last minute.

As a result, the west London giants could not land a suitable replacement for Enzo Fernandez, who left for Manchester City. The Blues are expected to fill the void in January but seem unlikely to return for Camara.

Kone was another top target for the Blues before the window closed over the summer, but Corriere dello Sport claim that it would take a premium fee for Roma to contemplate his sale when the transfer window reopens.

Roma were prepared to accept around £51m for a summer sale, but the significant fees paid by Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City for midfielders have increased their valuation of Kone in recent weeks.

The Giallorossi are presently top of Serie A after five matches into the season and may not sell Kone for anything less than £86m this winter.