After becoming one of the big casualties of Manchester United’s record-breaking move for Harry Maguire, Chris Smalling has enjoyed somewhat of a renaissance over in Italy.
Deemed surplus to requirements at Old Trafford and given the chance to leave on a season-long loan, the Englishman has embraced his opportunity with both hands.
As per Whoscored, his very impressive average match rating of 7.11 is good enough to place him fourth amongst all Roma players, and when you look at his underlying numbers it is easy to see why.
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In 21 appearances in the Italian top-flight, Smalling averages two interceptions, one tackle and 4.5 clearances per game, and is enjoying the kind of revival that surely warrants a second chance at Old Trafford.
And that is where this fresh report on Marcos Rojo’s future becomes interesting. According to Italian publication, La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Argentine could well become an option for Roma if they are not able to sign Smalling on a permanent deal this summer.
Rojo is currently on loan himself at Estudiantes, over in his native Argentina, and Roma’s interest in the 29-year-old means that Ed Woodward could quite realistically kill two birds with one stone at the end of the campaign.
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If the Red Devils believe Smalling has done enough to at least come back into the first-team fold at United, then rather than acquiescing to his permanent departure and potentially even forking out for a replacement, they could just keep him and offer Rojo to Roma instead.
Rojo – rated at £9m by Transfermarkt – would surely be the better option to sell. Not even including Smalling’s impressive displays in Serie A, he also of course represents a home-grown option for United, which is another crucial bonus for clubs involved in European competitions.
It is exactly why Woodward should seriously considering keeping Smalling, and letting Rojo leave instead.
Meanwhile, Man Utd must make a ruthless decision on this key star.
