It was bound to happen at some stage, since he’s proven to occasionally be an asset in the opposition box at times, but Chris Smalling scored his first goal for Roma on Wednesday night.
Tapping it in at the back post from a corner, the 29-year-old helped his club on their way to a 4-0 win over Udinese, and endeared himself even further with the club’s fans.
Gianluca Petrachi, their director of football, openly discussed the possibility of signing the Englishman on a permanent basis, but he knows there are obstacles in his way, including the price tag Manchester United have placed on their player, which was claimed to be around €15-20m.
That being said, it appears Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side aren’t against a sale, or, should we say, aren’t prepared to stand in his way should he want to remain in Italy.
That’s what Corriere dello Sport are reporting on Thursday, claiming United and Roma have a sort of ‘gentleman’s agreement’ that should Smalling want the move to be made permanent, then the Premier League side would ‘discuss the sale’.
From that point onwards, the money will be the only problem that will need sorting, with the Serie A side aware Smalling will be turning 31 in 2020 and is entering his prime years as a centre-back.
United will know that too, and if he continues having a great season, they might up that price a little bit more each month…
