Greek international defender and current AS Roma star Kostas Manolas could soon be swapping the purple-red shirt of Roma for the red of EPL giant Manchester United if coach Jose Mourinho, a long-time admirer, finally gets his man.
United boss Mourinho is keen to bolster the United defence and has kept a close eye on Manolas for quite a long time, stemming from his Chelsea days.
According to reports in the UK’s Sun newspaper, United is reportedly willing to fork out close to £50 million for the signature of Manolas, whose Roma contract is due to expire in 2019. However, despite the amount the Red Devils are willing to spend, it still faces several challenges in landing the defender’s signature.
Roma currently sits in second place on the Serie A table, just four points behind leader Juventus. The Italian club may be reluctant to let its star defender go even at that attractive price. There are also reports in the Italian media that United could face a bidding war for Manolas, with Inter Milan reportedly also keen to sign the defender.
The former AEK and Olympiakos defender has played 83 Serie A games for Roma since making the move from Olympiakos in 2014 for an estimated signing-on fee of €15 million. He’s also made 27 senior appearances for the Greek national team and established himself as an international footballer, with an impressive 2014 World Cup tournament in Brazil under then national team coach Fernando Santos.
It’s not the first time Manolas has attracted the attention of a Red Devils coach, with Sir Alex Ferguson’s replacement David Moyes reportedly keen to sign the young defender in 2013-14 while Manolas was playing for Olympiakos. He’s also attracted the interest of other EPL coaches in the past including Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger.