Wednesday 20 March 2019 13:26, UK
Manchester United have been linked with a possible move for Kostas Manolas - but who is the Roma defender?
Recent British newspaper reports suggest Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side are looking to activate a £30m release clause in the centre-back's contract with Serie A side Roma.
Here's all you need to know about the 27-year-old, who was also previously linked with fellow Premier League club Chelsea…
Manolas started his career in 2009 with Greek club Thrasyvoulos, making his first-team debut at the age of just 17, before securing his first big move to AEK Athens that summer after being scouted by a familiar face - the club's technical director and his uncle Stelios Manolas.
He spent three years with AEK, winning the Greek Cup with the team in 2011 and making himself a cult favourite having played on after suffering a broken cheekbone against Olympiakos.
Despite a successful spell in the Greek capital, he moved to rivals Olympiakos on a free transfer in July 2012 and won the league and cup double in his debut season before going on to retrain the league title.
Following a series of impressive displays during the 2014 World Cup, in which Greece were knocked out by Costa Rica in the round of 16, Manolas secured a £10.3m move to Roma that summer.
After three prosperous seasons at the Stadio Olimpico, he looked set to complete a £30m move to Russian side Zenit St Petersburg, but failed to turn up to his medical after reportedly wanting to be paid in euros instead of roubles.
Although he was included in the 30-man squad for the 2010 World Cup, Manolas failed to make the final cut for the 23-man team for the tournament and had to wait until February 2013 to make his international debut.
His international career has not been without incident, with the Greek national getting involved in a brawl with Bosnia-Herzegovina forward and Roma team-mate Edin Dzeko in June 2017.
The Nations League last September brought Manolas his first international goal, as he scored in a 2-1 loss to Hungary, with the defender having earned 39 international caps to date.
Manolas may well be the perfect fit for the Premier League, being best known as a powerful, all-round defender with plenty of pace.
He has a reputation as a good marker and tackler and even though he suffered a slight dip in form last season in Serie A, he still averaged 0.8 tackles, 1.6 interceptions, 0.9 fouls, 4.5 clearances and 0.8 blocks per game in the league, according to Whoscored.com.
Manchester United's centre-back woes have been well documented for some time, with Solskjaer inheriting an issue Jose Mourinho long looked to remedy.
Manolas, who has a €36m (£30.8m) release clause in his current contract, looks a good fit to fill the void with his height - standing at 6ft 2in - being another positive factor.
"I had offers from several big clubs, including Juventus. But it was my decision to come here to Roma," Manolas revealed after joining the club in 2014.
