Roma defender Kostas Manolas’s new contract is said to have a release clause of €35million (£30.8m), according to Calciomercato.com.
Arsenal were considering signing the Greek international before they opted for Shkodran Mustafi in 2016, and the 26 year old has been mentioned as a possible target for the Gunners ever since.
The three man defence has now been firmly established as the club’s preferred system and it looks like the club are seeking to strengthen the position. The Mirror believe that manager Arsene Wenger is seeking a new centre back in the January transfer window, with West Brom’s Jonny Evans being hotly tipped to make the switch from the Hawthorns to the Emirates.
With the Baggies reportedly rejecting £25m from the Gunners for Evans in the summer, it is likely they would want closer to £30m or more to sell the 29 year old. If Arsenal can’t agree a deal, it could be the case that Wenger will seek alternative targets, which could lead him back to Manolas.