Everton are reportedly one of a number of Premier League clubs who are currently interested in securing the signature of Manchester United centre-back Chris Smalling following the conclusion of his current loan spell with Serie A club Roma, which is set to end this summer.
La Gazzetta dello Sport recently named Everton, in addition to Arsenal and Tottenham, as one of the clubs who are interested in signing the 30-year-old centre-back.
In a report that was published by Sky Sports on 25th February, Smalling declared that his decision on whether or not he will remain in Rome following the conclusion of his current loan deal “will be an interesting decision to make”.
Smalling’s comments suggesting that he may remain a Roma player following his current season-long loan deal with the club came after Roma boss Paulo Fonseca had previously told Sky Sports that he “would like Chris to stay”.
Would Chris Smalling be a good signing for Everton?YES, EVERTON SHOULD SIGN SMALLING
NO, EVERTON SHOULD LOOK ELSEWHERE
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With the club’s manager openly declaring that he would like the on-loan defender to remain at the club following the end of his current deal, it may be fair to say that Smalling has impressed during his spell at the Stadio Olimpico this season.
According to WhoScored.com, Smalling has delivered some impressive performances in Serie A throughout the 2019/20 campaign, earning an average overall rating of 7.11 from his 21 Serie A appearances this season. The 30-year-old centre-back has earned the fourth-highest average overall rating of any Roma player in the Serie A this season.
Smalling has made a total of 4.5 clearances per game in the Serie A during the 2019/20 campaign, which is a higher number of clearances per game than any other Roma player has made in the league this season.
The Englishman, who is valued at £18 million (Transfermarkt), has also made an average of two interceptions per game in Serie A this season. This means that Smalling has also made a higher number of interceptions per game than any other Roma player has made during the 2019/20 campaign, according to WhoScored.
These stats may show that Smalling has made a positive impact to Roma’s defence this season in Serie A. Considering his impressive defensive contributions for Roma this season, it may be understandable why Everton, amongst other Premier League clubs, are being linked with the 30-year-old centre-back heading into the 2020 summer transfer window.
La Gazzetta dello Sport suggests that Roma may struggle to sign Smalling on a permanent deal if they fail to secure Champions League football for next season. Roma currently sit three points outside of the Serie A Champions League places. If Roma can’t secure Smalling’s signature on a permanent deal for next season, a return to the Premier League and his native England may at least be a plausible destination for the defender should Manchester United decide to sell him on a permanent deal.