Chelsea could face a significantly higher asking price for Manu Koné in January after Roma rejected a major offer for the France midfielder during the summer.La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Roma turned down a bid worth almost €60m (£52m) from Chelsea before the start of the season, while Atlético Madrid had previously offered €45m plus bonuses. The Italian club are now understood to value Koné at around €100m (£86m).The midfielder’s valuation has risen sharply following an impressive run of form for both club and country. Koné scored twice against Inter last weekend and was subsequently handed his France debut by new head coach Zinedine Zidane in the 1-0 victory over Turkey.Zidane used Koné in a deeper defensive midfield role rather than his more familiar position for Roma, and was impressed by his performance.Chelsea face £86m price tag for Roma midfielder Manu Koné“Manu was very good,” Zidane said. “He’s not used to playing in that position, I really wanted to see how he handled himself in that role, and he showed excellent balance.”Koné’s performance earned further praise from the French media, while his recent displays have strengthened the perception that he has developed into a more complete midfielder under Roma boss Gian Piero Gasperini.At Roma, the 25-year-old has been given greater freedom to contribute in attack, with his two-goal display against Inter providing the latest evidence of his growing influence.The Italian club’s new valuation would represent a substantial increase on the fee Chelsea reportedly had the opportunity to pay in the summer. Roma’s position is also reinforced by Koné’s contract situation and his importance to Gasperini’s side.Chelsea could therefore have to decide whether to return with a significantly improved offer when the January transfer window opens.For now, Roma appear determined to enjoy the midfielder’s continued development rather than encourage his departure, with his performances for both club and France driving his market value towards the €100m mark.Read more – Liverpool and Man Utd weigh up move for Tottenham’s Micky van de VenSee also – Manchester United monitoring Barcelona left-back Alejandro BaldeFollow the Football Faithful on Social Media:Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | TikTokThe post Chelsea face fresh obstacle in pursuit of Roma midfielder Manu Koné appeared first on The Football Faithful.