adminLONDON. — Arsenal have opened talks with Olympiakos over an £8 million deal to sign their defender Kostas Manolas, according to reports.
Arsenal are also preparing an £8m bid for Newcastle United midfielder Cheick Tiote.
The Gunners were strongly linked with a move for highly-rated Manolas this week, with Arsene Wenger looking for a replacement for Thomas Vermaelen.
And now reports say Arsenal have firmed up their interest in the Greece international by opening preliminary talks over a deal.
Juventus are also believed to be in negotiations to sign him, but Arsenal are thought to be happy to meet the £8million price tag and hope to do business. The 23-year-old was pulled out of Olympiakos’ friendly against Athletic Bilbao on Tuesday night, with the official line being that he was injured, but it’s thought this move was transfer related.
A tall, strong and commanding centre-back, Manolas is widely said to be one of the best young defenders in Europe. And while the Gunners have been linked with Liverpool’s Daniel Agger and Manchester City’s Matija Nastasic, it seems that Manolas remains a very real option as well. — The Mirror-Metro.
Online Reporter