Chelsea target and Roma defender Kostas Manolas is being pursued by their rivals Arsenal.
It has been reported by Il Messaggero that the North London side are prepared to fork out the centre-back’s £31.5 million release clause in an attempt to fix their defensive woes.
The Greece international has been with Roma for the majority of his career, having signed for free from Olympiacos in 2014. He is highly-rated across Europe because of his defensive abilities. However, he has so far decided to remain in the Serie A.
The player has yet to win any major titles with Roma, so may look to make a move away to add to his collection of Greek trophies.
West London may be the more suited destination for Manolas with Chelsea securing a place in the Champions League next season.
Although should Arsenal win the Europa League final, earning qualification into the Champions League, either club could be a good fit for the player.
With Gary Cahill’s contract expiring in the summer, it is important that Maurizio Sarri looks to deepen the squad and could add Manolas to his collection of strong central defenders including David Luiz, Antonio Rudiger, and Andreas Christensen.
However, with the possibility of a transfer ban looming, the Blues may be unable to sign anyone in the summer, meaning Arsenal will be able to lure Manolas to the Emirates instead.
