The defender has impressed with the Serie A club and his Paulo Fonseca is desperate to keep the Manchester United centre-back
Roma coach Paulo Fonseca insisted he would be trying everything to keep defender Chris Smalling at the Serie A club.
Smalling, 30, has impressed on loan at Roma from Manchester United this season, but reports suggest they may be unable to afford the transfer fee for the centre-back despite wanting to keep him.
But Fonseca is eager to keep the 31-time England international, praising his impact in Rome.
“I will do everything I can to keep him at Roma next year too. I know he wants to stay, let’s see what happens,” he told ESPN on Friday.
“He’s an amazing man, so humble, so professional. He is adored by the fans and established himself as one of the leaders in the dressing room.
“It’s not easy for English central defenders to adapt so quickly to Italian football, the record there isn’t good, but he has been amazing.”
Smalling had made 28 appearances in all competitions for Roma before the season was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.
While Fonseca is looking to keep hold of Smalling, he also discussed his pride in one of the club’s younger stars, Nicolo Zaniolo.
The midfielder has emerged as a star for Roma over the last two seasons after making the move from Inter in 2018.
Zaniolo made 36 appearances, scoring six goals, last season and has scored six goals in 26 matches this campaign.
As a result, Zaniolo has played his way into senior caps with Italy, having earned five caps in 2019 after making his debut in March.
The 20-year-old has been tipped by many to start for Italy at next summer’s Euros, and Fosenca says he believes the midfielder has the potential to be one of the best in the world in the coming years.
“He’s not just a wonderful natural talent, he’s a player who improved considerably this year,” Fonseca said. “I used to say he was like a wild man, following his instincts, but now he understands the game, understands the space, understands the decision-making.
“I have no doubt that in a few years he’ll be one of the best players not just in Italy but in all of Europe.”
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