Chelsea will not make a bid for Roma defender Kostas Manolas, according to Sky Sport Italia (via Football-Italia.net).
The Greek international was poised to join Russian club Zenit St Petersburg in a £30m deal but he failed to turn up for a medical on Wednesday, prompting speculation that another club had come in with a bid for the player at the last minute.
Sky Italia are suggesting, as the Mirror reported yesterday, that the Blues have turned their attentions to Bayern Munich centre back Jerome Boateng instead, although it has been reported today that Chelsea are interested in Manolas’s Roma team mate Antonio Rudiger.
The Gazzetta Dello Sport have revealed that Manolas’s move to Russia was being held up by a dispute over the currency that the 26 year old will have his wages paid in. The Russian rouble is very weak compared to the euro or dollar, and the defender seems to be wanting to make sure he is paid the €4million a season that has been agreed, and that none of it will be lost in the currency exchange.
