Kostas Manolas' Options Include Barcelona, Real Madrid, Juventus, Says Agent

The agent for Roma defender Kostas Manolas has stated his client has a clutch of European football's biggest clubs tracking him this summer, including Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Manolas has established himself as one of the best defenders in Serie A since joining the capital club in 2014, triggering speculation about a potential move.

As reported by Sport, having rejected a possible switch to Zenit Saint Petersburg, it appears Manolas has a plethora of illustrious teams to choose from.

According to his agent, Ioannis Evangelopoulos, Manolas "has options like Inter, Juventus, Real Madrid and Barcelona," per Tuttomercatoweb (h/t Sport).

Evangelopoulos was also keen to stress that Manolas "is still a Roma player and is participating in pre-season work" before confirming "there are many teams that have spoken to us."

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In the report it's also suggested Barcelona have an option on the 26-year-old, something that was secured when they agreed to loan Thomas Vermaelen to the Serie A side.

The Daily Telegraph's Matt Law noted that Chelsea were also interested in the defender before moving for his team-mate Antonio Rudiger instead:

Given the rapid progression Manolas has made with the Giallorossi, it's not a shock to see such a stellar cast of clubs interested in the Greece international.

Manolas is a force to be reckoned with. For Roma he has developed into a leader in defence, organising team-mates, thundering into tackles and reacting quickly to danger. While modern-day centre-backs are often keen to show their quality on the ball, he clearly relishes his defensive obligations.

As noted by WhoScored.com, in addition to all those qualities, Manolas is indomitable in aerial battles, too:

After moving Rudiger on this summer, it'd be a surprise if Roma were overly keen on getting Manolas out of the door as well. It would mean a major defensive reshuffle at the Stadio Olimpico.

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Of the clubs aforementioned, Juventus seems an unlikely destination for the player, as they are blessed with remarkable depth in the centre-back position; Roma would also surely be hesitant about selling to a direct Serie A rival.

Barcelona have options at centre-back, with Gerard Pique, Javier Mascherano and Samuel Umtiti impressing last season, although they did recently part ways with Jeremy Mathieu. Real Madrid, meanwhile, may benefit from an authoritative presence at the heart of defence having lost Pepe to Besiktas.