Roma defender Kostas Manolas has been linked with Chelsea, but Everton should consider swooping if they’re serious about breaking up the top six.
As reported by the Daily Mail, Chelsea have turned their attention to Juventus defender Daniele Rugani and have made a £35 million bid, meaning the door could be open for a team to take a run at Roma’s Kostas Manolas.
The Greek defender has been with the Italian giants since 2014, and has 129 appearances in Serie A. He currently has four years left to run on his contract at Stadio Olimpico and, as reported by Corriere dello Sport, has a £32 million release clause, which, for a player of his ability and the way the current market is, is a very appealing figure.
Manolas, who scored Roma’s famous third goal to send Barcelona crashing out of last season’s Champions League at the quarter-final stage, is a 27-year-old central defender who is widely considered one of the better defenders in the Italian top flight. He also has 34 caps for his country.
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He has courted the interest of a number of big clubs around Europe, but one club that could certainly do with his services are Everton, who need younger upgrades on Ashley Williams and Phil Jagielka.
The Toffees’ backline was suspect throughout the previous campaign, and Marco Silva needs a presence who is mobile and can read the game well.
Last term was disappointing for Everton and their fans and realistically they have fallen quite far behind the top six in recent seasons. That’s why a signing like Manolas plus a few others could help them break the mould and challenge for a place in Europe.
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