Chelsea Blow: £32m Target Confirms Interest In Joining Manchester United

The summer transfer window is open and managers are working hard on their transfer targets so we’ll bring you all the latest gossip from around the globe. Today, Kostas Manolas is linked with Man Utd….

Chelsea target Kostas Manolas has admitted he’d be interested in leaving Roma to join a ‘big club’ like Manchester United this summer, according to the Daily Star.

Manolas has developed in to one of the best centre-backs in Europe since joining Roma from Olympiacos in 2014 and he played a vital role in helping the Italian giants reach the semi-finals of the Champions League last season where they eventually got knocked out by Liverpool over two dramatic legs.

The Greek international has been constantly linked with a move to the Premier League in recent transfer windows and reports via the Daily Star suggest that Chelsea are prepared to meet his £32m release clause this summer.

The Blues are widely expected to replace Antonio Conte with Maurizio Sarri over the coming days and the former Napoli manager has seemingly identified Manolas as a key transfer target amid speculation linking David Luiz with a move away from Stamford Bridge.

However, Chelsea will have been disappointed by Manolas’s latest comments as although the defender opened the door to leaving Roma this summer, he failed to mention the Blues as a possible destination.

Instead, Manolas named rivals Manchester United as one of the ‘big clubs’ he’d be interested in joining along with the likes of Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.

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The 27-year-old is quoted as saying by the Daily Star:

“It’s only natural you want to play for the biggest clubs, like Barcelona, Manchester United, PSG and Bayern Munich.

“I think I could make the difference anywhere I went, even at Barcelona, although I’ve never been close to a move to the Blaugrana.”

Jose Mourinho is reportedly in the market for a new central defender this summer as doubts persist over Phil Jones and Chris Smalling while Victor Lindelof has been strongly linked with a move having failed to settle following his move from Benfica 12 months ago.

United have been linked with a whole host of names, including Manolas, in recent weeks so Mourinho may be tempted to step-up his interest in the Serie A star after hearing the player’s latest comments.

READ MORE –> Chelsea transfer news | Man Utd transfer news

We’ll have to wait and see how things develop but I think Manolas would be a superb addition to the United squad and at £32m he’d be a great buy in today’s market. Could he be the ideal long-term partner for Eric Bailly? Only time will tell.