The Roma coach insists he never vetoed the midfielder’s departure and says the Giallorossi did not receive an official offer from Chelsea.
Gian Piero Gasperini has rejected reports that he personally blocked Manu Koné from joining Chelsea during the final hours of the summer transfer window.
Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Roma coach explained that he was unaware of Chelsea’s interest until after the victory over Lecce. Gasperini also confirmed that Roma never received an official proposal from the Premier League club.
Gasperini Denies Vetoing Koné Transfer
“I deserve no credit, and there was no veto,” Gasperini said.
“Until the Lecce match, I had heard nothing about Koné. Afterward, there would no longer have been enough time to conduct negotiations. In any case, we never received an official offer from Chelsea.”
The comments dispute reports suggesting that Gasperini intervened directly to prevent Roma from selling one of his most important midfielders.
Koné started in Roma’s 4-0 victory over Lecce and remains a central component of the coach’s plans.
Roma and Chelsea Held Exploratory Contact
Roma sporting director Tony D’Amico provided a similar account during his first press conference after the transfer window closed.
D’Amico confirmed that contact occurred between the clubs but characterized the discussions as exploratory rather than an advanced negotiation.
“More than a negotiation, I would describe it as an inquiry,” D’Amico said. “There were informative contacts with Chelsea. In this case, there were no official offers.”
The sporting director also dismissed reports that Gasperini had threatened to resign if Roma sanctioned the transfer as “completely invented.”
D’Amico addressed the Koné situation alongside Roma’s unsuccessful moves for Jamie Leweling and Luiz Henrique during his detailed assessment of the summer transfer window.
Koné Remains Central to Roma’s Project
Chelsea reportedly intensified their interest in Koné near the transfer deadline, but the timing created a major obstacle.
The Italian transfer window closed earlier than the English market, meaning Roma would have had extremely limited time to identify and sign an adequate replacement.
No transfer was ultimately completed, and Koné remains at Roma as one of the most important players in Gasperini’s midfield.
The French international has started both of Roma’s Serie A matches this season, helping the team record consecutive 4-0 victories and two clean sheets.
Chelsea could potentially renew their interest in January, but Roma’s position remains clear: Koné is a fundamental player and was never the subject of a formal offer during the summer.
Source: La Gazzetta dello Sport
Leave a Reply