Patrick Vieira identifies the qualities that make Manu Koné stand out from the French competitors
Patrick Vieira praised Roma midfielder Manu Koné for his speed, aggressiveness and ability to create an attack; said to rank higher than Tchouaméni and Rabiot.
Patrick Vieira, former Arsenal central player and now one of the leading voices in football analysis, has given AS Roma's Manu Koné high praise. According to Vieira, Koné has a combination of qualities that make him stand out against other candidates for the center of the midfield of the French national team.
"Manu had a very good season at Roma in Serie A, and came to the World Cup after several injuries. For me, he is now the best central player in France. I would put him higher than Tchouaméni and Rabiot, because he is very mobile, he is aggressive, knows how to harvest the ball, and has the technical ability needed to build an attack. He can break the opponent's defense and move forward," said Vieira, as quoted by Football Italia from ITV Football.
<figure style="margin:2rem 0;overflow:hidden;border:1px solid #e2e2e2;background:#f9f9f9"><img src="https://img.championat.com/s/1200x630/news/big/d/c/patrik-viejra-nazval-cherty-vydelyayuschie-manu-kone-na-fone-konkurentov-v-sbornoj-francii_17825783221943994225.jpg" alt="Image" style="width:100%;height:auto;object-fit:contain" loading="lazy" /></figure>Vieira added that aside from his ability to grab the ball, Koné has other aspects that set him apart from his competitors: "Yes, he knows how to recover the ball, but he also has another skill—he knows how to play in attack. Sometimes Tchouaméni's passes to the right or backwards are surprising, while Koné's forward passes are more common."
Last season, Manu Koné made 37 appearances in all competitions for Roma, with two goals and three assists. He is also currently among the top-10 most expensive players in Serie A; according to Transfermarkt, his market value stands at €50 million.
The praise from Vieira adds more attention to Koné as he continues to monitor his role in the French national team entering major tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup 2026.
<figure style="margin:2rem 0;overflow:hidden;border:1px solid #e2e2e2;background:#f9f9f9"><img src="https://albumimageall.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/liga-pro/ldu-de-quito/group/match-images/2026-06-29/4.jpg" alt="Image" style="width:100%;height:auto;object-fit:contain" loading="lazy" /></figure>
