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AS Roma are preparing a second bid for Manchester United defender Chris Smalling, according to the Guardian. The Serie A side are desperate to bring the Englishman back to the Stadio Olimpico and could submit the improved offer by this week.
Chris Smalling spent a highly successful 2019/20 season with La Lupa, impressing manager Paulo Fonseca as well as getting into the good books of the fans. He was a rock at the back for the Serie A side and has his heart set on a return to Italy.
The Italian giants have already submitted an offer of £11m earlier in the summer for his services but it was deemed too low and was subsequently rejected by Manchester United. The Red Devils are understood to be holding out for £18m.
Meanwhile, Chris Smalling has been training separately from the squad.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed that the Serie A giants have not matched the valuation of the Englishman.
"At the moment, we’ve not had any bids up to the level that we want. That [Smalling’s valuation] is not down to me, is it? I’m not the one negotiating between the clubs, but we haven’t had sufficient bids there and that’s it."
Paulo Fonseca in regular contact with Chris Smalling
AS Roma succumbed to a 3-0 loss at the hands of Verona in the first game of the new season, and it was clear that La Lupa could have done with Chris Smalling’s presence at the back.
After the game, Fonseca revealed that Roma were working to complete a deal for the Englishman and that he could be back to Italy in the next few days
"We’re working to get Chris Smalling here. I’m in contact with him and I spoke to him yesterday. He wants to be here and we want him here. He could join us in the next few days."
With Manchester United going through a defensive mini-crisis and a new defender unlikely to join this summer, there were rumours that Solskjaer would not mind having Chris Smalling in his squad, especially after the Englishman’s stellar performance last season.
However, that ship seems to have sailed as it might be only a matter of time before Chris Smalling is back playing in the Serie A.
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