Friday, March 29, 2024

Still Time: 4 Top Quality Signings Arsenal Could Make Before The Season Starts

3 – Kostas Manolas

Embed from Getty Images

Arsenal have been told they will have to pay around £38 million to land Greek defender Kostas Manolas this summer.

Arsenal have wanted to sign Manolas for many years and were previously interested when he was playing for Olympiakos. The Greek international could now be available after Roma completed the signing of several defenders, including Juan Jesus.

The Arsenal and Chelsea target is said to be keen on moving to the Premier League this summer and he is a very physical defender, especially in aerial duels, proving to be very strong winning 76.16% of clashes in the air. Manolas is also very good with the ball at his feet which is another Arsenal identify, managing an 87% pass completion with 39.84 total forward passes per 90. Not quite as forward thinking as Koulibaly, but just as reliable in possession.

Manolas stands at 6ft 2′ and as mentioned is very strong on the ball, but also off, he is very strong in tackles and has won 1.41 tackles per 90.

Manolas has been known to suffer from inconsistency though, and that will worry Arsenal fans if he did join, especially for such a large fee. But any defender is prone to an error and aged 25, he will only become more reliable as he matures.

Explore more