Arsenal are lining up a move to sign AS Roma superstar Kostas Manolas this summer according to ll Messaggero.

It’s no secret that Arsenal have massive defensive liabilities and it should be first priority to sort that department out. Shkodran Mustafi seems to the nucleus of these defensive holes and the Gunners’ higher-ups seem have the idea of offloading him high up on the agenda list.

However, Unai Emery has not been given the transfer funds he needs to make a swoop in the market. According to BBC Sport’s David Ornstein, without Champions League money, the Londoners have around £40 million to spend this summer.

On the bright side, they can still qualify for the Champions League given that Emery can outsmart Maurizio Sarri in the Europa League final at the end of the month. Moreover, if Manchester City were to be handed a 1-year ban from European football for their alleged multiple FFP breaches, Arsenal will be given their spot. So a financial crisis isn’t the only situation the Emirates outfit can find themselves in this transfer season.

The Roma star is widely regarded as one of the best defenders of recent times in Series, though Twitter experts, who are mostly Barcelona fans, would have you believing he’s the Greek Mustafi. He’s definitely someone who can partner Sokratis Paspastathopoulos and solve the defensive crisis at Islington.

Additionally, in consideration to today’s inflated market, the Greek defender’s release clause is set at a humble €36 million. It is a figure Emery can match with Champions League potentially rolling in.

Unfortunately, it was also reported that the Greek international is a target of Juventus. If Manolas chooses to make the switch, he will be staying in Serie A and Italy, making things more comfortable and adaptable. But if he’s in search of a challenge or wants to put his name out there as one of the best centre-backs in Europe, the Premier League is the best destination there is.

With Rob Holding just recovering from a serious ligament injury, Laurent Koscielny turning 34 this year and Mustafi being an almost comical character in his side’s backline for the last 2 seasons, bringing in a figure like Manolas can only spell positivity. And he should definitely be a priority.