Juni Calafat, who heads Real Madrid's international football scouting, has followed KonĂ© closely, including watching him live on several occasions â most recently at AS Roma's 4-0 opening-weekend win over Fiorentina, a match Madrid's staff also used to run the eye over Franco Mastantuono's Viola debut.
KonĂ© is contracted to Roma until 2029, having joined in 2024 shortly after Mourinho's own departure from the Roma dugout, and carries an exit price in the region of âŹ60m.
Before Roma he played for Toulouse and Borussia Mönchengladbach, and he has already earned 19 caps for France, impressing as a starter against Iraq, Norway, Paraguay and Morocco at this summer's World Cup after Aurélien Tchouaméni's injury opened up a place in midfield.
A defensively-minded midfielder known for winning duels and reading the press intelligently, KonĂ© combines physical presence with composure on the ball, completing 90% of his passes in last season's Serie A â qualities that line up closely with what Jose Mourinho wants from his midfield. Even so, Madrid consider their squad finished for this window regardless of any late departure, a stance the head coach reiterated on Tuesday when he said the group was closed as far as he was concerned. Any move for KonĂ©, if it happens, would come in a future market.
That doesn't mean Madrid are ruling out reacting to events elsewhere. The club is prepared for the possibility of a significant offer arriving from the Premier League for one of its own midfielders, with Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea all said to be shopping in that position â Eduardo Camavinga and TchouamĂ©ni, who recently extended his contract to 2031, are the names most frequently mentioned. But even if either departs, Madrid's stated position is not to bring in a replacement this summer.
Koné shares an agency with Tchouaméni: both players' careers are managed by Excellence Sport Nation, run by Jonathan Kebé and Jérémy Ramalingam, whose client list also includes Jules Koundé at Barcelona, Mike Maignan at Milan, Bryan Mbeumo at Manchester United and Senny Mayulu at PSG.
Madrid consider their squad closed for now, but continue to watch the market for pieces that could strengthen the team down the line â which is where KonĂ©'s name keeps coming up.