Arsenal have joined the race to sign Kostas Manolas after the defender failed to agree on a contract extension with Serie A club, Roma.
As well as the breakdown in discussions, the imminent arrival of Inter Milan’s Juan Jesus as the new boy on the scene could force the 25-year-old out of the club.
The centre back has grown increasingly frustrated at the club and the fact that Luciano Spalletti is ready to bring in fresh faces will signal things aren’t about to get any better this season.
Despite his 37 league appearances in 2015/16, the Roma boss is ready to bring in a number of defenders in order to compete with life in an ever-improving Serie A division.
His contract is set to expire in 2019 but if the player is unhappy with his position then they could be willing to settle a cut-price in order to get on with their season – according to an Italian report.
As a Greek international with 23 caps to his name Manolas stands as a central defender with both experience and desire to perform at the top of his game.
It’s very rare to see a player in this position that is capable of playing the sweeper role as well as being a confident footballer who has the vision to see key passes in order to dictate the play.
Manolas is always keen to drop in and make a challenge and in this division that could prove fatal with the ability to get away with tough challenges becoming harder every season.
However, he does seem to be a player that is capable of coming in and replacing the tired legs of Per Mertesacker within the season, and competition will only be a good thing.
Arsenal also have Gabriel and Calum Chambers to back-up in defence, with the Brazilian set to partner Laurent Koscielny from the beginning of the season.
Places are hard to come by at the moment and that could be tough for Manolas to make a transition from regular first team football. This will be a deal that will come down to his willingness to work for a place in the squad. Does he have that ability? We’ll soon find out.
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