According to a recent report by Calciomercato, Manchester United could have the opportunity to land Greek defender Kostas Manolas on a bargain fee but only if his current club, AS Roma fails to qualify for the UEFA Champions League next season.
The same source has revealed that the Serie A centre-back, who has a €36m (£30.8m) release clause in his contract, will likely want to leave if Roma are not able to clinch a top 4 place at the end of this campaign.
Manolas began his career as a young player for the Greek outfit, Thrasyvoulos Fylis before joining AEK Athens back in 2009. After three solid years at the Greek capital, the talented centre-back managed to earn a big move to Olympiacos in 2014 where he rose to prominence featuring in 74 matches while scoring six goals and providing two assists across all competitions.
His brilliant defensive contributions helped the Greek giants win their domestic league title twice. He also lifted the Greek Cup twice during his spell at the Karaiskakis Stadium. Roma decided to bring him to Italy in the summer of 2014 where he has now become a household name due to his stellar defensive prowess.
The 27-year-old is currently sidelined due to a calf injury which has made life difficult for Roma’s new manager, Claudio Ranieri. Manolas has made 29 appearances for the Serie A outfit this term and has two goals and one assist to his name in all competitions. More importantly, the Greek centre-half has made an average of 1.2 tackles and 1.7 interceptions per match which goes on to show how well he has performed for the Italian club thus far.
The addition of Manolas will undoubtedly bolster Man United’s defensive options at Old Trafford. The Reds Devils have had their fair share of difficulties at the back of late which has seen them slide outside the top 4 at this moment. They were also knocked out of the FA Cup by Wolverhampton Wanderers which doesn’t bode well for Ole Gunnar Solkjaer’s chances of getting the managerial job permanently at the end of the season.
There is no doubt that the Mancunian heavyweights are in dire need of some defensive reinforcements during this summer transfer period and Manolas fits the bill perfectly. The Greek defensive ace is quick, strong, athletic and is a competent defender which makes him an excellent choice for Ed Woodward and co. ahead of the new campaign.
