While Kostas Manolas may be a name well known to fans of Serie A, the Greek central defender, currently plying his trade with Roma, may not be a household name to supporters of several clubs linked with him in recent weeks.

 

Chelsea, Manchester United, Everton, and Arsenal have all been mentioned as potential suitors for the 25 year old, with Inter also said to be interested in keeping the player in Italy. Rumours surfaced last week that a deal was already agreed with Roma to take Manolas from the Italian capital in the summer on a salary package worth around €4m a year, however these have proved unfounded as uncertainly continues to surround his future.

 

A no nonsense defender, Manolas is every inch the modern day defender; comfortable on the ball with an eye for a pass and dominant in the air, he has been a near ever present at the heart of Roma's defence this season playing 1,592 minutes of Serie A football over 18 starts and a single substitute appearance. And, with an average rating on WhoScored.com of 7.15, Manolas also boasts an impressive 86.9% passing accuracy, ideal for any manager looking for his side to play out from the back.

 

An interesting conversation though is who would benefit most from the signing of Manolas; looking at the clubs interested in him it could be argued that Arsenal have the most pressing need for a player of his ilk, with even the most ardent Gooner struggling to deny that since the glory days of the “Invincibles”, Arsenal have struggled to build a defence capable of backing up the adventurous exploits of their midfield and attack. 

 

Ironically it's Inter who would, on paper at least, seem one of the least likely to require Manolas; Pioli's side have only conceded 3 goals in their last 8 Serie A outings which includes a recent trip to the Juventus Stadium. However, with new owners at the helm and money to spend, Inter could plausibly look to rebuild entirely from the back and, if that were the case, Manolas would be an ideal building block.

 

While Chelsea's name has entered the fray in recent weeks, it's easy to see why boss Antonio Conte would be interested in Manolas. Conte has transformed Chelsea since reverting to a tried and trusted back-three and, as fans of Roma will know, Manolas is comfortable playing in the centre or right side with his current club utilising this defensive formation on a weekly basis.

 

Manchester United supporters will also be excited to see their club linked with Manolas, another club who has struggled to replace great defenders of years gone by; Stam, Ferdinand, and Vidic to name just three. In fact, of any of the three aforementioned players, comparisons could easily be made with former Old Trafford favourite Vidic due to his pace, quick reactions, and aggression in the tackle as well as the air.

 

When you hear all of these fantastic attributes it makes you wonder why Roma would want to sell such an accomplished defender, but alas a fee in the region of €45m is too much for most Serie A teams to turn down in the era of FFP (Financial Fair-Play) as clubs look to cut their cloth where necessary to strengthen where required.

 

In the modern football world where top quality centre backs are at a premium, make no mistake when I say that whoever wins the race to secure Manolas' signature will be signing one of the best, and most under rated, young defenders in world football.



James McGhie (@jrmcghie) is the founder of @SemprePodcast,the original & best SSC Napoli podcast for English speaking supporters across the world.