Roma boss Fonseca confirms he ‘will do everything’ to keep Chris Smalling/Man United loanee ‘wants to stay’

Roma boss Paulo Fonseca has today lavished praise on Chris Smalling, before assuring that he is ready to do his utmost to keep the on-loan Manchester United man at the club beyond this season.

Roma switch

English international Smalling has spent the last 10 years of his career on the books of Premier League giants United.

However, on the back of Harry Maguire’s big-money arrival from Leicester City last summer, Smalling was deemed surplus to requirements by Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

As such, following weeks of speculation, the 30-year-old departed Old Trafford for Serie A outfit AS Roma at the end of August.

Smalling made the move to the Stadio Olimpico on loan for the 2019/20 campaign.

Man United man impressing

And, after struggling for game-time over the early weeks of his stint in the Italian capital, Smalling has since gone on to establish himself as an integral member of the Giallorossi’s backline.

The stopper has notched starts in 21 of Roma’s 26 Serie A outings to this point in the campaign.

And, aside from a somewhat hit-and-miss patch of form earlier this year, Smalling has looked largely back to his best.

Chris Smalling during the Europe League football match AS Roma vs Borussia Monchengladbach at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, on october 24, 2019. (Photo by Silvia Lore/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The 30-year-old’s positive impression at the Stadio Olimpico thus far, meanwhile, has seen reports mount that the Roma board have already come to the decision to attempt to make Smalling’s transfer a permanent one.

The reliable Gianluca Di Marzio previously revealed that the defender has ‘convinced everyone’ at the club, and that the capital giants have begun ‘working towards redemption at the end of the season’.

This comes despite Ole Gunnar Solskjaer having assured that Smalling will return to Old Trafford ahead of the 2020/21 campaign.

‘He has been amazing’

And, as outlined above, the latest individual to have today provided his take on Smalling’s future is Roma boss Paulo Fonseca.

Speaking in an interview with ESPN, the 47-year-old was drawn on whether the Giallorossi could continue to avail of the stopper’s services beyond the confines of his current deal at the Stadio Olimpico.

And Fonseca left little room for interpretation with his response, assuring that he is ready to do whatever it takes to keep hold of Smalling:

‘I will do everything I can to keep him at Roma next year too.’

Significantly, the Roma boss also claimed in no uncertain terms that Smalling is in favour of extending his stay:

‘I know he wants to stay, let’s see what happens.’

Fonseca continued:

‘He’s an amazing man, so humble, so professional. He is adored by the fans and established himself as one of the leaders in the dressing room.’

‘It’s not easy for English central defenders to adapt so quickly to Italian football, the record there isn’t good, but he has been amazing.’

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