With it dawning on the vast majority of clubs that the current season could be cancelled entirely, the summer transfer market is likely to be an interesting one.
Teams like AS Roma, who were hoping to get a chance to qualify for the Champions League, could miss out on valuable money, which means a smaller budget to buy players with.
With that in mind, it’s not surprising to see them trying to find new ways to keep their team together, and that includes Manchester United’s Chris Smalling.
The England international has become a fan favourite in Italy’s capital, and while he reportedly has offers from elsewhere (like Arsenal), the best solution for Roma would be to convince Ed Woodward and co. to agree to another loan deal.
That’s also their strategy for both Davide Zappacosta and Henrikh Mkhitaryan (if they can get him to renew his contract at the Emirates), as they will not be able to afford the fees demanded by both the Gunners and United for their respective players.
Roma would be willing to pay a fee to the Old Trafford club to keep Smalling around, and they can also guarantee him a starting spot, which is exactly what he wants in hope of making England’s squad for the 2020 Euros, now set to be played in 2021.
A private chat with Gareth Southgate allegedly restored his faith of this being a possibility, so Smalling will have to choose his next step carefully if he cannot get Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to guarantee him a recurring role in Manchester United’s defence next season.
