Roma are increasingly confident that they can strike a deal for Manchester United defender Chris Smalling.
The clubs are having positive discussions and the Roma are believed to be closer to United’s assessment of the player.
The 30-year-old impressed on loan from the Serie A giants last season but was frozen on his return at Old Trafford, trained alone and has been banned from all matchdays at United this season.
Smalling has been Roma’s top target this summer, and the club have reached out to United several times for a permanent deal, but their offer fell short of the £ 20m price tag.
Personal conditions are not expected to be an issue Heaven in Italy Reporting Roma are ready to offer Smalling a three-year contract.
Roma boss Fonseca wants to bring Smalling back to Italy
Other clubs like Inter Milan and Newcastle have shown interest in signing the center-back this summer after scoring three goals in 37 games for Roma last year.
Smalling returned to Old Trafford after the end of the Serie A season in August when Roma finished fifth. The clubs were unable to reach an agreement to extend his loan for the Europa League final.
Roma boss Paulo Fonseca has made no secret of Smalling’s importance to his backline and has spoken out loudly in favor of bringing him back to the Stadio Olimpico.
United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer allowed Smalling to leave last summer for a £ 2.7m loan fee as he said he could enjoy more playing time than he did at Old Trafford.
In the meantime, United are expected to confirm Andreas Pereira’s exit to Lazio in the next 24 hours. The Serie A club pays all of the midfielder’s wages for the next season.
“Smalling desperately wants to return to the Roma”
The Northwest reporter from Sky Sports News James Cooper…
“There is sure to be a breakthrough there, I think it’s moving in a more positive direction.
“I know Chris Smalling is desperate to return to Roma, he had such a wonderful time there and was really, really rated by everyone in the Italian capital and they wanted to bring him back permanently.
“Smalling’s feeling may be that they heard a lot of warm words over the summer about how good he was and how much they want him, but they didn’t see an offer to support it.
“But I’ve been told that things are headed in the direction that Roma are more willing to pay what Manchester United want.”
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