Roma defender to snub Arsenal, Chelsea for Russia move

Roma centre-back Kostas Manolas is prepared to snub Premier League interest from Arsenal and Chelsea in order to pursue a fresh challenge in Russia with Zenit St.Petersburg.

The Greece international has courted interest from the London pairing over the past year with the Gunners having failed with a formal approach for his signature last summer.

Manolas snubbed the chance to extend his Giallorossi earlier last season, and according to Corriere dello Sport, he is seemingly on the verge of completing a move to Zenit.

According to The Sun, the former Olympiacos man has finalised a four-year contract with the Russian Premier League club, and a deal of £26m could be completed in the coming days.

Surprisingly Arsenal were willing to pay a fee of around £35m for the centre-back last summer, and Roma have taken a hit due to their reluctance to sell earlier in the piece.

Manolas has appeared in 131 outings for the Giallorossi since arriving from Olympiacos in the summer of 2014.