Many of the rumours that pop up in the transfer window end up serving as nothing more than ploys to force clubs into giving players better and longer contracts. For years, we saw this happen with Sergio Ramos, for example. Even if there’s concrete interest, such as in the case of Kalidou Koulibaly, the primary aim of the agent is to ensure a payrise, whether that’s at the player’s current club or some new one.
The same thing is happening with another rumored defensive target.
"[Roma manager Luciano] Spalletti considers Kostas as a key element of their team and it is possible that my client signs a new contract with them. We are waiting to see what will happen.
"During the summer Manolas was approached by Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City, and I'm sure these big clubs will keep on following him."
-Ioannis Evangelopoulos, agent; source: ESPN via Corriere dello Sport
Kostas Manolas’s convoluted contract situation at Roma played a large part in preventing too much serious interest from developing. When Manolas arrived at Roma from Olympiakos in 2014, the Giallorossi agreed to pay either €6.5 million or 50% of any transfer deal, whichever was higher, to the Greek side until September 1, 2016.
Now that this is out of the way, the Premier League clubs mentioned by Manolas' agent can very well renew their interest in the defender over the winter or the summer. Thus, unless Manolas and his agent get what they want from Roma, we should expect to hear more rumours on this front in the upcoming transfer windows.