Agent reveals Man Utd misfit could be gone for good after securing loan

One of the agents who helped secure Chris Smalling’s loan move from Manchester United to Roma has hinted that the defender could stay with the Serie A club beyond this season.

Smalling was a late addition for Roma this summer, with the Man Utd centre-back brought in by the Italians after they failed in their pursuits of Toby Alderweireld, Dejan Lovren and Daniele Rugani.

The 29-year-old had been pushed down the pecking order at Old Trafford following the signing of Harry Maguire from Leicester City, with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confessing that it was best to let Smalling move on if he wanted regular football.

Although there is no option to buy in the loan, Giulio Meozzi, who acted as an intermediary in the negotiations, has suggested that Smalling could still be purchased by Roma next summer.

“An important transfer,” Meozzi told Tuttomercatoweb. “There was the possibility of making a dry loan, with the option to keep for next year and that depends on his performances.

“Roma has done good business and has also been able to sell well. Smalling was an important operation just as that of [Davide] Zappacosta.”

Italian full-back Zappacosta was another loan signing from the Premier League, with Chelsea letting him return to his homeland until January – with a clause stipulating that the loan will be extended until the end of the season unless one of the Blues’ other defenders gets injured.

Neither Smalling nor Zappacosta have started for Roma yet though, with the Englishman an unused substitute against Lazio at the weekend, and the Italian being ruled out with injury before that game.

 

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