Manchester United defender Chris Smalling is expected to leave the club permanently in the summer and it looks like Arsenal want to sign him – as per reports.
The defender fell out of favour at Manchester United last season after putting out mediocre performances for a number of years and finally in the summer Ole decided that it was time for him to head out.
Before the start of the season, Chris Smalling was sent out on loan to Serie A side AS Roma with the hopes that the player can get some form back.
And to be honest, his performances have seen a spike this campaign and before the league was suspended, Chris Smalling played in 22 Serie A games for Roma scoring two goals and providing one assist.
As per reports, AS Roma want to sign the player permanently but there’s a massive chance that the England international could return back to the Premier League and play for Arsenal next season.
Can Arsenal get their hands on Chris Smalling?
Chris Smalling still has two years left on his current deal at Manchester United but Ole should have no problems in letting the defender move out at the end of the season but it remains to be seen if the manager is willing to sell him off to a direct rival like Arsenal.
While some experts claim Smalling wants to remain in Itlay by signing a permanent deal with Roma but he will only make a decision in the summer since he wants to see if the Serie A side can play in the Champions League or not.
If this does not happen then Chris Smalling might as well return back to England and try his luck with Arsenal which would help him remain under the eyes of Gareth Southgate.
As per TransferMarkt, Smalling is valued at €20 million but what remains to be seen is whether Mikel Arteta is willing to pay this amount for a 30-year-old defender or will he look to bring in some young talents in the summer.
Unai Emery tried to add some experience in his backline last summer by bringing in David Luiz from Chelsea but the Brazilian has been a failure so far so there’s every chance the new boss might not walk in the same path.
