Roma & Man Utd 'Reach Agreement' Over Chris Smalling Transfer
AS Roma and Manchester United are reported to have finally reached an agreement over the transfer of Chris Smalling, with the defender to join the club for an initial €15m (£13.6m) fee.
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Smalling was sent out to Serie A for the 2019/20 season after falling out of favour at Old Trafford, but quickly re-established himself as a top centre-back. The 30-year-old made clear his desire to stay in Rome, but when a deal initially could not be agreed, he returned to Manchester for pre-season training.
? This deal has been on/off in recent days by Roma have now reached an agreement with Man Utd to sign centre-back Chris Smalling. Fee is €15m + €5m in add-ons.
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) October 5, 2020
? Details: https://t.co/lvj9uCI6Oc@TheAthleticUK #MUFC #ASRoma https://t.co/wgTrYuRoDU
He hasn't been used by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, however, and negotiations have been ongoing over a return since the early part of the summer. At the final hour, it seems as if an agreement has finally been reached, with David Ornstein lifting the lid on a deal worth €20m (£18.2m) in total.
Smalling made 37 appearances for Roma last season and became a popular figure in the Italian capital. A number of sides, in England and Italy, were interested in his services, but it appears it's his former team who have now won the race.