Arsenal transfer news: Roma reject Gunners' bid for Greek defender Kostas Manolas

Arsene Wenger was willing to pay up to £5.5m for Kostas Manolas

(GETTY IMAGES)

Roma are not willing to give Kostas Manolas away to Arsenal, reports suggest.

According to the Daily Mirror, The Romans lost Marquinhos to Paris Saint-Germain in 2013 and Medhi Benatia to Bayern Munich last year and are not interested to letting another talented centre-back leave the Olimpico.

Arsene Wenger was willing to pay £5.5m, including add-ons, for the 24-year-old but the Giallorossi would have none of it.

The Serie A runners-up signed the Greece international from Olympiakos last summer for a fee of £10.3m.

Ever since, he has been established as a vital member of Rudi Garcia's squad and has been regularly featuring at the starting lineup.

He started to turn heads during his time at AEK Athens and he ended up at the Piraeus club in 2012 where he won one Greek Cup and the Greek Superleague twice.

At last summer's World Cup he formed a formidable duo with Borussia Dortmund defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos and helped Greece reach the Last 16 where they were eliminated by Costa Rica.

Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker are still considered as Wenger's favourites in defence but the Frenchman looks keen to offer them some competition - as the name of Manchester United's Jonny Evans has emerged as a transfer target.