Manchester United and Arsenal linked with potential £31m transfer battle

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Manchester United and Arsenal are both being tipped as suitors for the transfer of Roma defender Kostas Manolas this summer.

The Greece international has recently been linked with Man Utd by Italian outlet Calciomercato, who report that he’ll be available if Roma fail to qualify for the Champions League this season.

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Additional information from the Daily Mirror claims this could also see a clause kick in that would allow Manolas to leave for just £31million, while they also link Arsenal as long-time admirers of the player.

As noted by the Mirror, both these Premier League giants could really do with a signing like Manolas as they bid to strengthen at the back this summer.

It seems unlikely there’ll be another player as good as Manolas available for so cheap, with the 27-year-old showing himself to be up there with the most solid centre-backs in Europe in recent times.

United need him as an upgrade on struggling performers like Phil Jones and Eric Bailly, while Arsenal badly need a more solid partner for Sokratis Papastathopoulos as Laurent Koscielny edges towards the end of his career and Shkodran Mustafi continues to look out of his depth at this level.

Kostas Manolas in action for Roma
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