Inter Targets Manu Koné and Curtis Jones for Midfield Rebuild
Cristian Chivu is wasting no time putting his stamp on Inter’s midfield. With Davide Frattesi expected to move on this summer, the Nerazzurri are working on an ambitious plan that could bring both Manu Koné and Curtis Jones to San Siro.
Koné the priority as Roma weigh FFP pressure
At the top of Inter’s list sits Manu Koné. As reported by Tuttosport via CalcioMercato, the Frenchman is viewed as the primary domestic target, a player Chivu believes can anchor the next evolution of Inter’s engine room.
Koné joined Roma from Borussia Mönchengladbach in the summer of 2024 for €18 million plus €2 million in bonuses. Since landing in the capital, he has racked up 81 appearances for the Giallorossi, contributing four goals and six assists – solid numbers for a midfielder whose game is built as much on control and intensity as on final-third output.
He is tied to Roma until June 2029 on a contract worth €2.8 million net per season. Under normal circumstances, that kind of long-term deal would shut down most conversations before they start. But Roma’s need to stay on the right side of financial fair play opens a door. If the offer is right, the club are prepared to listen.
Inter already tried to walk through that door last August and came away empty-handed. This time, they are ready to return with a different strategy, guided by Chivu’s insistence that Koné is the right profile to reshape the midfield.
The key could be a swap. Roma are open to a deal that would see Carlos Augusto and/or Frattesi move the other way, a structure that would help balance the books for both sides and address squad needs in one stroke. For Inter, it would soften the blow of losing Frattesi. For Roma, it would inject fresh options while easing FFP pressure.
If the numbers align, this is the kind of trade that can redefine a summer.
Jones lined up as complementary signing
The story does not end with Koné. Tuttosport report that even if Inter land the Roma midfielder, Chivu’s rebuild could still include a second reinforcement.
Curtis Jones has emerged as that option. The Liverpool midfielder, under contract at Anfield until June 2027, earns a relatively modest €500,000 net per season. From Inter’s perspective, that wage level makes any potential move far easier to structure.
Jones is not being considered as an alternative to Koné, but as a complement. A different profile, another layer of technical quality and tactical flexibility, rather than a like-for-like choice between the two.
Inter’s long-standing interest in Real Madrid talent Nico Paz has faded, the dream drifting out of reach. The focus has shifted to targets who can actually be prised away, and Jones fits that category far more cleanly.
The image of Jones on the San Siro pitch is not just theoretical. He has already felt the weight of the stadium, pictured controlling the ball under pressure from Nicolò Barella during Liverpool’s UEFA Champions League League Phase clash with Inter on 9 December 2025. He knows the stage. Inter know what he looks like on it.
Chivu wants a midfield capable of dictating games in Europe as well as at home. If Inter can turn interest into signatures, a core built around Koné and Jones would send a clear message: this is not a gentle transition after Frattesi. It is a full-throttle retooling of the heart of the team.
