Kostas ManolasCould Have Joined Arsenal in The Summer for €40 Million, Claims Agent

Roma reportedly turned down the advances of Arsenal for defender Kostas Manolas in the summer.

The Greek international has become one of the most wanted players in this January transfer window. He has been linked with every major club in European football like Manchester United and Arsenal. Aware of the interest from such top clubs, Roma have increased the valuation of the player. It is reported that Roma will not entertain any bids below £47.5 million. Manolas’ agent has claimed that Roma rejected a €40 million offer from Arsenal in the summer. it is no secret that Arsenal were after a centre back in the summer.

The failure to get Manolas now appears to be the reason behind the club signingShkodranMustafi. Incidentally, the German was brought to the club for around €40 million figure suggesting that Arsenal would not have gone beyond this mark even if Roma persuaded. January, however, throws a different challenge especially with a number of clubs like Manchester City and Manchester United struggling to deal with lack of bodies in the defence.

United’s squad is stretched at the moment, and the club have been chasing defenders like Manolas and Victor Lindelof for quite a while. A Greek international, the 25-year-old has featured in 27 matches for the Greek national team since his debut in 2013. He has been at Roma since 2014.

“Probably there will be something in the summer, if anything. In general, it’s hard to make predictions in football, as it is in life. Kostas has the opportunity to play at a higher level, so I would not expect him to go to China.Last summer, a bid of around €40m from Arsenal was turned down for Kostas. Arsenal had shown interest before, but Roma’s demands were higher than the English club were willing to go,” said Manolas’ agent.