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Roma will have to pay Manchester United £18 million if they want to convert the loan move for central defender Chris Smalling into a permanent deal.
The England international made 17 appearances for United last season, but, after falling down the pecking order at Old Trafford with the arrival of Harry Maguire in the summer transfer window, he was allowed to leave on loan and join the Serie A side.
He has since made a big impression in Italy, making 10 appearances for his new side so far, impressing with his command at the back, and reading of the game. He has also scored once in the league.
Roma have already seen enough of the 29 year old to want to keep him full-time in the Italian capital, and now know how much they are going to have to pay United for the privilege.
Meanwhile the defender admits that, despite missing some aspects of life in England, he is adapting well to life in his new country, saying “‘I am feeling very settled; my family is over here and the dogs are over here, so everyone is settled. When my family are happy and I am happy it shows on the pitch.”
Andy is an exiled English football fan living in Cyprus. He loves all sports but football is his abiding passion, and he still has dreams every now and then about scoring the winning goal in a Wembley Cup Final, even though his playing days are long gone. He follows most major leagues, across Europe at least, and has a favoured team in each. When he’s not watching, listening, reading or downloading podcasts about football, he spend his time worrying about his beloved Arsenal.