Chelsea have had a £26m offer for defender Kostas Manolas knocked back by Roma, according to The Sun, via Football Italia.
With Antonio Conte expected to be confirmed as the next Chelsea manager, it isn’t surprising he reigning Premier League champions are being linked with players in Serie A.
Added to the fact that John Terry will be leaving at the end of the season, a new central defender ranks high on the list of priorities for the Blues this summer.
According to the report, Chelsea had set their sights on the 24-year-old Greek international but have been told they will need to shell out in the region of £35m for the Roma defender’s signature.
Manolas, who has previously been linked with a move to Arsenal, is an aerial threat and it is no surprise to discover that only Edin Dzeko (86) has won more aerial duels in the league for Roma this season than Manolas (74).
For more stats on Kostas Manolas, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
