Smalling open to Roma stay

Chris Smalling has revealed that he would be open to staying with AS Roma after his loan from Manchester United expires.

Speaking to BBC, the defender said his plan was all along to contribute to the Serie A team as much as possible during his temporary stay in the Italian capital and hope for discussions over a permanent deal to take place. Roma have reportedly been trying to reach an agreement with his parent club, but they haven’t had much success so far.

Both Smalling and Roma will be aware of United having a strong hand in any talks given that the contract between the 29-year-old and the 20-time English champions runs until the summer of 2022. Further more, the club have the option of extending the bond for further 12 moths, so they are certainly not in a hurry to sell.

Nonetheless, the centre-back says both he and his family are enjoying life in Italy and he hopes that his fine performances in Serie A have caught the attention of England manager Gareth Southgate. Having been capped 31 times, Smalling hasn’t played for England since 2017.