Kostas Manolas played for Olympiakos last year in the Champions League and for Greece in the World Cup, but before today I hadn't really thought about him in any serious way. But according to John Cross, he's in Arsene Wenger's crosshairs as a replacement for Thomas Vermaelen, and at 23 years old and only around £5 million, it would probably be a favorable move for Arsenal.
The problem is that other teams, including Tottenham Hotspur, Napoli, Everton, Juventus, and Sunderland, are also looking after him. And Manolas is likely to get less playing time at Arsenal than any of the other options, unless Laurent Koscielny's Achilles injury is worse than we've been led to believe so far. With Arsenal (even after the Shad Forsythe era has begun), that's certainly possible, though a terrifying prospect.
One way or the other, the signs seem to indicate a change coming in the player's status, and soon:
Manolas has been left out of Olympiacos' squad for their game tomorrow. Interesting...
— Deano Spyrou (@DSSFootball) August 12, 2014
It'd be a pretty typical Arsene Wenger signing, honestly, so I really wouldn't be shocked to find out this interest is legitimate, and to see a deal wrapped up relatively soon. Probably not tomorrow, though. We'll keep an eye on how this one develops.