Roma are growing increasingly confident they will be able to sign Chris Smalling from Manchester United on a permanent deal.
Smalling joined the Serie A club on loan in the summer, having found himself down the pecking order at Old Trafford.
He has been something of a revelation in Italy, making 15 appearances in all competitions and establishing himself as a key man in the heart of Paulo Fonseca’s defence.
Roma are keen to make the move permanent and have been in regular contact with Manchester United over such a possibility for weeks.
The club’s management are ‘assured’ that the so-called walls, i.e. significant obstacles to getting him, are collapsing and making a deal possible.
Smalling is said to be growing ‘increasingly convinced’ that the best thing for his career would be staying in Italy permanently.
Roma are not assuming he will put his foot down with Manchester United, but the hope is that should he have multiple offers, which could be likely given the performances he’s put in so far, he will choose to stay with them.
Gazzetta explain the most important thing is that they don’t ‘trigger an auction’ for the player, who could have suitors elsewhere.
Roma don’t want to move too far away from the €15m they’ve already offered United, though, and want to avoid other interested parties ramping up the asking price.
