Manchester United to beat Chelsea to £30.3m deal for AS Roma defender

Manchester United are reportedly ready to splash out £30.3m in a bid to land Greece international defender Kostas Manolas this summer, according to Sky Sport Italia (via the Daily Express).

The 13-time Premier League champions, who are set to appoint ex-Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho as their new manager after sacking Louis van Gaal following his FA Cup final triumph, have already held talks with AS Roma over a potential deal for their highly-rated centre-half.

Manolas (centre) trying to fend off Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo – Photo: Offside / Pressesports.

The 24-year-old, who has 23 international caps for his country, scored two goals and provided three assists in 45 appearances in all competitions for the Serie A outfit last term.

Manolas, who joined the Italian club from Olympiakos two years ago, is also said to be a transfer target for incoming Chelsea boss Antonio Conte this summer.

However the report suggests that United are now favourites to land the Greek star, with the Old Trafford outfit ready to offer more than £30m to Roma to secure his services ahead of the Blues.