The Roma centre-back would be a superb signing for Tottenham.
Mauricio Pochettino will once again be looking to strengthen his squad this summer, as he looks to guide his Spurs side to success on all fronts this season.
One particular area where the Argentine will have to address is his defensive department, with the future of Kevin Wimmer far from certain, after the Sun reported that Tottenham are willing to sell the Austrian.
If the 24-year-old does eventually leave the club, the acquisition of an accomplished centre-back will surely feature highly on Pochettino’s agenda.
With this in mind, the Lilywhites should consider gatecrashing Zenit St Petersburg’s move for Roma defender Kostas Manolas, as the Greek star dithers on a switch to Russia.
Manolas in action for Roma
The Telegraph claims that Chelsea have also joined the race to sign the 26-year-old, after a wage dispute looks to have scuppered his move to Zenit.
The north London outfit must seize this opportunity though, and enter the race for the top-class centre-back.
Manolas would be the ideal signing for Tottenham, especially if Pochetitno plans to stick with playing three at the back. If Wimmer leaves, Spurs would have just Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen and Eric Dier as recognised centre-backs, and it will obviously not be possible to complete an entire campaign without rotating any of those players.
Unless of course Pochettino has full faith in his young players to step in throughout the season – a risky play for a club who are supposed to be challenging for major honours on all fronts.
The Roma man should be a priority for the north Londoners, if they truly want to improve. Standing at 6ft 2in, he is strong in the air, tenacious in the tackle and is an exceptional reader of the game.
The Greece international’s experience and class would be an undoubted asset to what is still an incredibly young Spurs squad, and for the price of just £26 million, he could turn out to be a real coup, should they win the race to sign him.
Kostas Manolas
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