Man Utd Steal March On Arsenal & Chelsea After Making Move For £30m Star

The opening of the summer transfer window is fast approaching so we’ll bring you all the latest transfer rumours and gossip from around the globe. Today, Manchester United are linked with Kostas Manolas….

Manchester United have stolen a march on rivals Arsenal and Chelsea after lodging an enquiry over the availability of Roma’s £30m-rated centre-back Kostas Manolas, according to the Daily Mail.

Jose Mourinho is all-set to replace Louis van Gaal in the Old Trafford hot seat with Sky Sports News reporting that the Portuguese coach is expected to sign his contract before Friday after agreeing terms with United officials.

The former Chelsea boss is expected to be extremely busy in the transfer market this summer as he looks to rebuild the squad he’s inheriting after watching the Red Devils miss out on Champions League qualification with a fifth-placed finish.

While Mourinho is likely to strengthen throughout his team, a centre-back is expected to be a priority as United need a top class partner for Chris Smalling and it looks as though the so-called ‘Special One’ has already discussed his list of potential transfer targets.

That’s because the Daily Mail claim that United have now made an initial enquiry to Roma over a possible deal for Kostas Manolas with the Greek international understood to be valued at around £30m by the Serie A outfit.

That sort of money shouldn’t be a problem for a club with United’s financial clout, however, it looks like the Red Devils could face stiff competition for the 24-year-old’s signature as the newspaper suggests that Arsenal and Chelsea are also showing a keen interest in Manolas this summer.

Arsene Wenger is expected to sign another central defender over the coming weeks as neither Per Mertesacker or Gabriel have proven to be a reliable partner for Laurent Koscielny this season, and the North Londoners have held a long-standing interest in Manolas.

Incoming Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is also expected to be active in the transfer market as he looks to rejuvenate the Blues squad following their poor season and Manolas could be viewed as a long-term replacement for skipper John Terry.

The Greek star has been outstanding for Roma since joining the club from Olympiakos two years ago, forging a reputation as one of the best defenders in Serie A, so I think he’d be an excellent addition for either Arsenal, Chelsea or United.

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It looks as though the Manchester giants are in pole position to secure a deal after making an early move but there is still plenty of time for the London duo to step-up their own interest, so it’s going to be interesting to see where Manolas ends up if he does leave Italy this summer.