AEK Athens have placed a AUD$990,000 price tag on their defender Kostas Manolas.

An AEK official has flown to the Ukraine to speak with officials of the FC Dnipro who are reportedly ready to sign the young Greek player. Its also reported that a number of Premier League clubs are ready to swoop for Manolas, who was due to join Everton last month until the move fell through. Talks between the defender and the Toffees progressed throughout January, but a deal to take the 20-year-old to Goodison Park collapsed on deadline day.

With Manolas out of contract with AEK Athens at the end of the season, Everton continued talks with his representatives. Now a move to Everton has fallen through after they failed to agree terms and a host of clubs are now looking to engage Manolas in talks with a view to sealing a summer move. “The deal with Everton has not progressed and that is now not going ahead,” his UK representative Chris Nathaniel told reporters. “A number of clubs are very keen on Kostas and we are now exploring a number of options.” It is understood that Newcastle, Bolton and Wigan are amongst the clubs looking at Manolas. Meanwhile, Polish club Legia Warsaw have snapped up AEK’s former Argentine striker Ismael Blanco.

The 29-year-old cut short a spell in Europe with AEK to move to Mexican side San Luis last summer, but has quickly headed back to Europe. Blanco was highly rated back in 2007 when AEK snapped him up from Club Atletico Colon; the striker had enjoyed impressive spells on loan with Libertad and Olimpico. The striker will now hope to pick up his success in Europe with Polish outfit Legia Warsaw.