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Roma are set to open negotiations over the permanent signing of Chris Smalling, according to widespread reports.
The English centre-back has made an extremely positive first impression since sealing a season-long loan move from Manchester United, being a man of the match candidate in each of the five games he has played so far. Roma have kept two clean sheets since Smalling came into the side, with the 29-year-old already firmly established as the strongest defender at the club. With his loan costing €3m but including no option to buy, it has now been reported by Gianluca Di Marzio that Roma are set to resume talks with Man Utd in the coming weeks to negotiate a price for a permanent signing. Corriere Dello Sport journalist Jacopo Aliprandi reported that Smalling's agent was present at Trigoria on Friday, sowing the seeds for talk of a transfer. Smalling was at the centre of a controversy on Thursday, being penalised for a 'hand ball' which led to Borussia Monchengladbach equalising from the penalty spot in the 1-1 Europa League draw - despite replays clearly showing the ball hit his head, and the referee publicly admitting his error via Roma's social media channels. After the game, Smalling voiced his disbelief at the decision via Twitter, following up with his first ever declaration of 'Daje Roma'.
The news comes as another English player - former Blackburn midfielder Jack Rodwell - underwent a trial with the club, with a view to signing as a free agent. The club will choose between him and ex-Empoli man Marcel Buchel, with the selected man being given a contract until the end of the season.
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Roma legend Aldair has praised defender Chris Smalling after the Englishman's positive start to the season.
In his two appearances for Roma so far, Smalling has been a man of the match candidate, impressing with his reading of the game and the timing of his tackles - plus his organisational ability. The reception upon his signing was somewhat mixed, given that Roma had spent the summer chasing the likes of Toby Alderweireld, while the skepticism would have increased when it was announced that Smalling would be wearing the number six shirt. That number had belonged to Aldair for the best part of a decade, and was retired following his departure from the club in 2003. Since then, only Kevin Strootman had worn it - but only with Aldair's permission. Hence, Smalling is only the third player this century to wear the iconic jersey for Roma, but Aldair insists that his first impressions of the on-loan Manchester United man have been positive. "Someone like Smalling can be very useful," he told Gazzetta Dello Sport. "The teams attack more and the defenders have to attack the man near the goal more, without turning around. It's not easy to do." Chris Smalling insists he has not taken the easy route by trading Manchester United for Roma.
The English defender arrived at Roma on loan over the summer to plug a gap at centre-back, but is yet to feature for his new side due to injury. Despite his tenure in the Italian capital only being a temporary one, the 29-year-old has confirmed he will be making the maximum effort to settle in with his teammates. He will be hoping to have better fortunes than Roma's only other previous English player, Ashley Cole - and Smalling has told The Telegraph how he hopes to achieve that. “You do see very few English players going abroad and those that do are largely good players otherwise they wouldn’t have gone,” he said. “But I feel a lot of their downfall is in the language. On the pitch you can learn the different basics of ‘left’, ‘right’ and ‘behind you’ but off the pitch you want to have that influence around the team. “We will be traveling together as a team so it is important to communicate as much as I can. That helps me be more comfortable around my teammates. It makes the experience a lot better. “Maybe where some English players are not fully committed to the language, off the pitch it is a big divide. By learning I can bring us closer and get to know them as soon as I can.” Smalling had been pushed down the pecking order at Manchester United due to their high-profile signing of Harry Maguire, but the former Fulham man insists coming to Roma is just as big a challenge as staying at Old Trafford and fighting for his place would have been. “I love a challenge and when a new centre-back comes in it makes you raise your game. You have to show more, you have to be more consistent. “If I had stayed I would have taken on that challenge and I would have been very confident that I would have played the number of games that I was worthy of. “Equally I have a challenge here at Roma. Going back [at the end of the season] I will have an added element that some of the centre-backs won’t have. “The easy decision was to stay. This is the perfect opportunity to try and live in a different culture. In that respect it is like a total change, although football is still the same football.” Smalling's hint that he will return to Manchester at the end of the season goes against previous comments, where he had talked of a "longer-term future" in Serie A.
Chris Smalling has revealed he will strongly consider staying at Roma if his loan spell from Manchester United is a success.
Smalling arrived at Roma on a dry loan towards the end of the transfer window, after the club's pursuits of Toby Alderweireld, Dejan Lovren and Daniele Rugani hit dead ends. In doing so, the 29-year-old became just the second Englishman to ever play for Roma, following on from Ashley Cole's ill-fated spell four years ago. At his unveiling press conference today, Smalling outlined his reasons for coming to Roma, revealing what he wants to achieve with the club. “I think Serie A has always been a goal of mine to play in one day, because as a defender if you get the chance to experience Serie A you want to do it,” he said. “I think I’ve played a lot in the Premier League and now I can bring my qualities that I’ve learned to Italy, and that is something I am looking forward to.” Smalling was chosen because of his suitability to Paulo Fonseca's preference for a high line, and the coach has made a positive first impression on his new centre-back. “I spoke to him before I came to the club and he told me his goals, what he wanted from me. It was something that we totally agreed on. “Coming in and having my first sessions, this week, I can see it is a team that wants to press, that wants to be aggressive. “He wants a defender that is aggressive and can cope with the runs in behind and, yes, I think it is a perfect fit. It’s been a great first week of training and I am looking forward to getting stuck in. “There is a lot of responsibility on the defence as a whole and the centre-backs too, but that is something I enjoy. “I like to push up high, play high up the pitch, and the manager wants us to be high. I am a defender that likes to defend on the front foot, so I think this is the perfect type of football for me and hopefully it allows me to show my real qualities.” After playing in the Champions League last season, both Roma and Smalling are returning to the Europa League this year. It's a tournament he has already won with United, and like fellow new arrival Henrikh Mkhitaryan, the former Fulham man is confident his new club can also go all the way in the competition. “I think this club definitely has a chance. We will be one of the favourites in the competition, obviously there are a few other clubs too, but Roma will be among the favourites. “It has been great to have won it previously, but it would be even greater to win it here in Italy.” While his move was arranged quite hastily, Smalling has no regrets about accepting the offer, and hopes that he can experience Italian football for more than just this season. “I think this is an opportunity that came to me that I was very interested in, and I was very eager to come. It happened very quickly. “I am very focused on the next game, getting up to speed with training and learning the manager’s methods. And then hopefully I want to have a very good season. “After that we will see. To have a chance at a big club, if it prolongs and the club is happy and I am happy, then I can definitely see a longer-term future in Italy. “I am not a young player who has to prove himself, but I like new challenges. I had a great time in Manchester, but the opportunity to experience a new league and with a new club like Roma… “I don’t like to live my life with my regrets, and this was a big opportunity. At Manchester we had high expectations, but here in Rome there are high expectations too. And that’s not easy, but it’s also a great challenge. “It’s motivating, and now I have the chance to prove that the club was right to put their faith in me. “The club has been great with me, helpful with everything I need from house-hunting to everything else, and that has immediately put me at ease. “So, I had no doubts at all. I’ve heard great things about Italy, and Rome itself, and it is something I was always looking forward to and will definitely savour. “In England we don’t have many players who do go abroad, but I’ve always had a desire deep down to experience this and to have the opportunity to go to a big club with big aspirations, like I said before, is something I look forward to. “I like to live my life with no regrets, so I am looking forward to build on this journey and make the most of it. “And these two weeks of the international break have been the perfect opportunity for me to get to know the players, to get to know the style of play the manager wants to have, and to be ready for when Serie A games start again.” Smalling will be hoping to make his debut when Roma return from the international break, with a home match against Sassuolo on 15th September potentially giving him the opportunity to make his Stadio Olimpico bow. Legendary Roma goalkeeper Franco Tancredi has given Paulo Fonseca his full backing, while explaining what makes current number one Pau Lopez impressive.
Tancredi was Roma's keeper for their second Scudetto, in 1983, and in the European Cup final the year later - although few keepers since him have stood out for the right reasons. Now, the 64-year-old - who served as England's goalkeeper coach for four years under former Roma boss Fabio Capello - has revealed his optimistic outlook for the season in an interview with Tele Radio Stereo. "I trust the coach a lot, it seems to me that he knows his stuff and is determined," explained Tancredi. "He must improve with the language because otherwise it is difficult to transmit things to the group. He seems intelligent and I like how he sets Roma up on the pitch. "Roma's problem could have been the new coach, but as I said, he has convinced me and I see him going down well with the group. Now with the last signings of the transfer window, Roma will change their record and it will benefit them a lot. In midfield, [Bryan] Cristante and [Lorenzo] Pellegrini need time because they are adapting, not being natural defensive midfielders." The position that Tancredi is best-equipped to comment on, of course, is the goalkeeper role - and he has been impressed with summer signing Lopez. "He seems adapted to Fonseca's game, I see him as very reactive and alert. He has two very good qualities, especially for how the team plays: Tactically, he reads deep passes well, and has excellent exit times in one-on-ones. And with his feet, he is very precise and courageous. "He has had a good approach since day one, he is aware of his qualities but also has a great desire to learn. Unfortunately, from a technical point of view, foreign goalkeepers are not of the level of the Italian school. Even with the best ones, you can notice the different way of working." Although Tancredi worked in the goalkeeping department during his time with England, one player he will have briefly crossed paths with was Chris Smalling, who was given his senior international debut by Capello. And Tancredi believes that the defender, who joined on loan from Manchester United in the final days of the transfer market, will be beneficial to his new teammates. "Smalling is the classic English centre-back, hard as a rock and good with the head, in the attacking phase as well, but he also has a good sense of anticipation and is capable of commanding the defence. His only problem is that, being very tall, despite being fast, in the first few metres he is cumbersome." After two draws in the opening two games, some fans are already a bit restless, but Tancredi knows that once things click, Roma will be a force to be reckoned with again - especially improving in defence. "We have always historically been tight in the first rounds of the championship. Therefore, I believe there is a need, especially for those who have changed coach, for that physiological time to register the defensive department. I am convinced that, from the next game, things will change considerably." And in attack, Tancredi knows Roma are well represented, with Edin Dzeko named as the one striker who could have caused him problems if they had faced each other as players. "I am crazy for Dzeko. He has a shot that can anticipate the keeper's intentions and wrong-foot him, and it is something that very few have." With the curtains finally closed on a rollercoaster transfer market - Gianluca Petrachi's first as Roma sporting director - it's time to recap all the deals that went through.
Roma have made some exciting changes to their squad, bringing in some stars of international quality, while several flops have left the club. Here is Roma's summer activity in full - including deals at youth level. In: 1/7/19 - Leonardo Spinazzola (€29.5m, Juventus) 1/7/19 - Amadou Diawara (€21m, Napoli) 1/7/19 - Felipe Estrella (undisclosed, Ferroviaria) 9/7/19 - Pau Lopez (€23.5m, Real Betis) 17/7/19 - Gianluca Mancini (€2m loan + €13m obligation to buy, Atalanta) 20/7/19 - J0rdan Veretout (€1m loan + €16m obligation to buy, Fiorentina) 29/7/19 - Ruben Providence (€0.5m, PSG) 16/8/19 - Mert Cetin (€3m, Genclerbirligi) 21/8/19 - Davide Zappacosta (loan, Chelsea) 30/8/19 - Chris Smalling (€3m loan, Manchester United) 2/9/19 - Wiktor Plesnierowicz (loan + €0.5m option to buy, Lech Poznan) 2/9/19 - Nikola Kalinic (€2m loan + €9m option to buy, Atletico Madrid) 2/9/19 - Henrikh Mkhitaryan (€3m loan, Arsenal) Out: 21/6/19 - Ezequiel Ponce (€3m, Spartak Moscow) 26/6/19 - Andrea Romagnoli (€2.5m, Spartak Moscow) 30/6/19 - Kostas Manolas (€36m, Napoli) 30/6/19 - Luca Pellegrini (€22m, Juventus) 26/7/19 - Daniele De Rossi (free, Boca Juniors) 1/7/19 - Jean Freddi Greco (undisclosed, Torino) 1/7/19 - Flavio Bucri (undisclosed, Torino) 1/7/19 - Rezan Corlu (undisclosed, Brondby) 1/7/19 - Andrea Paolelli (released) 2/7/19 - Umar Sadiq (loan, Partizan) 8/7/19 - Stephan El Shaarawy (€16m, Shanghai Shenhua) 10/7/19 - Edoardo Soleri (undisclosed, Padova) 10/7/19 - Andrea Trovato (undisclosed, Frosinone) 11/7/19 - Ivan Marcano (€3m, Porto) 12/7/19 - Zan Celar (loan, Cittadella) 12/7/19 - Gerson (€11.8m, Flamengo) 13/7/19 - Matias Nani (loan, Central Cordoba) 16/7/19 - Lorenzo Di Livio (undisclosed, Catanzaro) 17/7/19 - Daniele Verde (€1m, AEK Athens) 17/7/19 - Salvatore Pezzella (loan, Modena) 17/7/19 - Lorenzo Valeau (loan, Imolese) 17/7/19 - Alessandro Barbarossa (released) 18/7/19 - Stefano Greco (loan, Vibonese) 23/7/19 - Riccardo Cargnelutti (undisclosed, Modena) 29/7/19 - Gianmarco Cangiano (€1.5m, Bologna) 31/7/19 - Alessandro Bordin (undisclosed, Spezia) 1/8/19 - Elio Capradossi (€1m, Spezia) 6/8/19 - Nicolo Buso (undisclosed, Entella) 7/8/19 - Rick Karsdorp (loan, Feyenoord) 7/8/19 - Christian D'Urso (€0.5m, Cittadella) 9/8/19 - Giacomo Molinari (undisclosed, Trapani) 14/8/19 - Lorenzo Crisanto (free, Alessandria) 14/8/19 - Riccardo Cataldi (undisclosed, Trapani) 16/8/19 - Steven Nzonzi (€0.5m loan + €16m option to buy, Galatasaray) 21/8/19 - Emanuele Spinozzi (undisclosed, Pistoiese) 27/8/19 - Ante Coric (€0.4m loan + €6m option to buy, Almeria) 30/8/19 - Robin Olsen (loan, Cagliari) 30/8/19 - Gregoire Defrel (€3m loan + €9m obligation to buy, Sassuolo) 31/8/19 - Keba Coly (loan, Rende) 2/9/19 - Patrik Schick (€3.5m loan + minimum €28m option to buy, RB Leipzig) 2/9/19 - Maxime Gonalons (loan + €4m conditional obligation to buy, Granada) Roma have confirmed the signing of Chris Smalling on loan from Manchester United, making him the second English player in the club's history.
Smalling joins on a season-long loan with no written option to buy, although like with Davide Zappacosta, who joined on a similar deal from Chelsea, there may be the opportunity to negotiate at the end of the campaign if he has performed well. The 29-year-old becomes only the second English player to represent Roma in history, following Ashley Cole. Other players with British connections to have featured for the club are John Charles, the Welsh striker who spent a season in Rome in the 1960s, Simone Perrotta, who was born in Greater Manchester but played for Italy, Mark Tullio Strukelj, born in Surrey but an Italian national, and Emma Lipman, who played for the women's team last year. The rumours linking Smalling with Roma emerged on Thursday morning, with the deal quickly being accelerated to prevent the club from missing out before Monday's transfer deadline. Roma have paid €3m for the loan, and should they wish to negotiate for his permanent transfer at the end of the season, it is likely they would have to pay around €17m more. After completing a medical on Friday, Smalling, who will wear the number 6 shirt last used by Kevin Strootman, told Roma's official website: “This is the perfect opportunity for me. “The chance to experience a new league, with a big team that has got big aspirations is exactly what I needed. “Hopefully I can hit the ground running. I’m looking forward to joining up with my teammates.” Benvenuto, Chris!
Roma are expected to complete the shock signing of Chris Smalling from Manchester United within the coming hours.
Gianluca Petrachi has been searching for a new centre-back all summer, even after the arrival of Gianluca Mancini from Atalanta, with the season opener against Genoa proving that reinforcements are still needed at the back. Earlier in the summer, Tottenham defender Toby Alderweireld had been the top target, but Roma were reluctant to pay his £25m release clause, which has since expired, meaning the focus shifted to Daniele Rugani from Juventus or Dejan Lovren from Liverpool. However, on Wednesday evening, Il Tempo journalist Alessandro Austini hinted that Roma were considering a third name, a 'Mister X' profile, which he has since revealed as Man Utd man Smalling.
The English centre-back, 29, has fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford, where Ole Gunnar Solskjaer now has five other defenders to choose from - Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Phil Jones, Eric Bailly and Marcos Rojo. Therefore, it is suggested that Smalling can leave on loan - with Corriere Dello Sport's Jacopo Aliprandi furthering the story by claiming that the 29-year-old can arrive in Rome today.
Sky Sport Italia's Gianluca Di Marzio reveals that Roma will pay €3m for the loan, but there is no option to buy. Smalling would become the first English player to represent Roma since Ashley Cole's ill-fated spell from 2014 until January 2016, and just the third Brit in history - with John Charles spending a season in Rome in the 1960s. In addition, last season, Emma Lipman became the first English player to represent Roma's women's team. Smalling has made more than 300 appearances for United since joining from Fulham in 2010, but has not featured for England since 2017, because Gareth Southgate does not deem him suitable for his style of play. However, it appears that Roma do consider him suitable for them, with Paulo Fonseca having targeted a fast, experienced defender capable of playing in a high line all summer. |
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