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Tottenham are the latest club to be linked with a move for former England defender Chris Smalling.
The 31 year old Manchester United player is currently on a season long loan with Serie A side Roma, where he has impressed, keeping nine clean sheets in 28 appearances. Roma would like to make the move permanent but there is a price issue. They are prepared to pay £14 million, but United are holding out for £17 million.
That may give Spurs the chance to beat the Italian side to the punch, as Jose Mourinho looks to strengthen his leaky defence. He already knows Smalling well from their time together at Old Trafford, and believes he may bring the experience and defensive solidity that has been lacking in recent months, especially as Belgian international Jan Vertonghen is likely to leave North London this summer.
Smalling’s current deal at Old Trafford expires in 2022.
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.