Konstantinos Manolas was born on the 14th June 1991 in Naxos, Greece and from an early age he took a huge interest in football. This was influenced by his sporting family – specifically his uncle, Stelios Manolas – who is one of the most-revered figures in Greek football. Prior to his teenage years, the defender played for his local football team Pannaxiakos FC. It didn’t take long for him to be noticed however, and by the age of fourteen the young Greek was signed by Thrasyvoulos F.C; a team who ply their trade in the Greek second division.
Throughout his impressive young career, Manolas utilised his superior physical presence to shine at a young age. Thus, he was handed a first-team début at Thrasyvoulos at the tender age of 18. He only played six times for them, though, before teams were alerted by his evident mercurial talent and were knocking down the club’s door, in order to secure his services.
Manolas’ career had kick-started. The defender signed for Greek heavyweights AEK Athens, and began to adapt to the top tier of Greek football. It wasn’t too extraordinary a league for the youngster, who possessed – even at that age – the maturity to deal with a new life both on and off-the-pitch, and continue to consistently perform at a very respectable quality.
He didn’t manage to accumulate a three-figured number in terms of club appearances, but nonetheless he had become a sacred member of the squad. In three years – the first of which, he was still in his teenage years – he played 66 times, and continued to develop at an impressive rate. His physicality was reaching its peak, he was maturing and improving mentally through playing football, and he was slowly becoming a favourite amongst the Greek side’s fans.
Then, though, came the big one. The biggest moment in his career so far, possibly only beaten by appearing in a World Cup – signing for the Zeus of Greek football – Olympiacos. Like Barcelona for a Spaniard or Juventus for an Italian, an offer from said club is irrefusable for anyone involved in Greek football. When you get an offer to play in the famous red and white stripes of the 16-time double-winners, you know you are doing something right and, at the tender age of 21, it was evident that Manolas was.
Two years on, and his career is taking on the status of a monumental mountain. If his uncle’s prestigious career is what he wants to replicate, he’s certainly going in the right direction and – according to many news agencies – he is going to do the sole thing his well-respected uncle didn’t: move to a different, greater, league.
If Arsenal do eventually sign him, I think he’ll do a good job here at Arsenal. He is very rough around the edges but with a bit of help from the likes of Arsène Wenger and Per Mertesacker, he can turn into one of the best defenders in the continent. Greece have always boasted strong, good defenders – namely Dellas, Manolas (his uncle) and Papastathopoulos – and I really think that, with effective and useful nurturing from someone with experience aside from his uncle, Kostas can become something special.
His current playing style relies hugely on physicality. Like Laurent Koscielny in his first couple of years, he shows signs of unbelievable ability but, like you can’t afford to at the highest level, he is prone to the odd error. This, though, is something which can be cut out of his game – he is only 23, don’t forget.
Adapting to the Premier League shouldn’t be too big a problem for the towering defender. He has the ingredients, but until now, he hasn’t found the right chef, so to speak. His turbulence has been undeniable at club level but, peculiarly, he showed sublime form when thrown into the deep end at the World Cup. Greece, a team with a lack of defensive protection from midfield, conceded a few too many goals in the tournament but Manolas was outstanding individually – certainly their best player.
I think that the 23-year-old will be more than good enough at Arsenal, where he would presumably play a bit-part, substitute role. He has a determined, grounded and respectful attitude which will serve him well when he is inevitably left out of the line-up, and this attitude will also serve him well when on the pitch – as his concentration and focus is second to none. In the future, too, he could prove to be a useful acquisition. His potential is sky-high and he could, in the future, create a good understanding with fellow youngster Calum Chambers – although it’s premature to say that.
Facets of his game which can be improved upon include decision-making, ball distribution and positioning. The middle of that trio, though, is interesting, as he has the ability to do great stuff on the ball for a defender. It corresponds with the former point, decision-making; once he learns to play the simple pass, he’ll be an ideal Arsenal centre-half. Positioning, too, is something that usually comes with age. Koscielny and Vermaelen – two well respected defenders now – both had problems with positioning at Arsenal when they first arrived, but cut it out of their games and learnt how to hold the line effectively. I’m confident Manolas can do the same and if he does so, he’ll be a phenomenal player.
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