Chris Smalling made his intention known before the recent Europa League clash against RB Salzburg, and Roma are trying to make it happen. The defender was candid in his remarks to Sky.
“I’m very confident about my permanence here. I have an option to extend my contract for one year, but I hope to stay for more seasons.”
According to Calciomercato, the parties aren’t too distant on the numbers. The defender currently earns €3.5M. That would continue to be the case if he picked up the automatic clause. Instead, the Giallorossi offered €2.5M annually for the next two campaigns.
The club and his agent will attempt to split the difference with the help of some bonuses. The late-March international break will offer the opportunity to negotiate and eventually put pen to paper if everything goes well. The Englishman has drawn the attention of Inter and multiple Premier League sides, such as Fulham, Everton, Leicester City, and West Ham.
Our Take on Roma and Smalling
It’s interesting and promising for the Giallorossi that he didn’t attach himself to José Mourinho or the Champions League qualification. The Nerazzurri have been on and off on him, and they have to wait to learn whether Stefan De Vrij will take their offer before openly pursuing him. La Lupa has a clear advantage over the suitors. They better not mess around and drag the matter for too long just to save a few bucks. They’d have to invest a lot to replace him adequately.
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