Smalling swaps Man Utd for Roma with only a minute to spare

Joe Williams
Chris Smalling Roma Man Utd

Chris Smalling has completed a permanent move to Roma from Manchester United, who announced they had reached an agreement with the Serie A side on Monday evening.

Smalling was signed by Sir Alex Ferguson in 2010 and the centre-back went on to make 323 appearances for United, who claimed two Premier League titles, one FA Cup and a Europa League crown during his time at Old Trafford.

He spent last season on-loan with Roma, who it is understood completed the capture of the player when the Italian FA processed the paperwork with only a minute to spare before the country’s transfer deadline.


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A statement on the club website said: “Manchester United have reached an agreement with AS Roma for the transfer of defender Chris Smalling.

“Well liked and trusted by every United manager he played under, the only current first-team player to have made more appearances for the club than Chris is, at the time of writing, David De Gea.

“Everyone at Manchester United would like to thank Chris for his years of service, dedication and professionalism, and wish him all the best for his future.”