The Chris Smalling bandwagon continues in Rome, and it doesn’t appear to be stopping anytime soon.
The latest development in this saga was the fact Edin Džeko ran across the field before coming off against Basaksehir last Thursday to give the Manchester United loanee the captain’s armband for the final 18 minutes of the game, showing exactly how much of an impact the Englishman has had since arriving.
His early performances in the Serie A side’s backline have impressed everyone, and no one complained when he was rewarded by the Bosnian in what was a unanimous decision to hand him the responsibility.
Of course, all of this also helps Roma in their endeavours to permanently sign the player from the Old Trafford club, as continuous shows of gratitude and trust could help them in swaying the player’s mind when it comes to his future.
Corriere dello Sport on Sunday explain, once again, it all comes down to the player’s desire, and while there could be a temptation to return to Manchester United after his ‘Erasmus year’ in Rome, the managerial situation at the club could be key.
Since he wasn’t trusted by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer this season to lead the backline at Old Trafford, it’s believed that should the Norwegian still be in charge come the end of the 2019-20 campaign, ‘surely he cannot return’ since he wouldn’t play.
As they put it, Roma ‘wait and hope’, having offered €12m for the time being, while Manchester United ask for €20m.
Negotiations are reportedly still ongoing, and likely will be throughout the season.
