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After a successful season-long loan in 2010-20, Chris Smalling has returned to AS Roma on a permanent transfer. The defender has left Manchester United for a deal worth reportedly £18.2m with various add-ons. All parties have been motivated to get this deal done for months now, so the only surprise is that it went down to the wire — even though United have apparently gotten a few extra quid on top of whatever Roma’s most recent rejected offer was.
After 10 years of service at Old Trafford, @ChrisSmalling has left #MUFC to join Roma on a permanent deal.
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) October 5, 2020
Thank you and good luck in Italy, Chris ❤️
Smalling leaves United after 10 years at the club, during which he made 323 appearances for the club and won the Premier League twice. He also won the FA Cup (2015/16), the League Cup (2016/17) and the UEFA Europa League (2016/17) during his time at United — starting in all three of those finals.
Smalling wanted out and United wanted to sell (bizarre then it’s gone this close to the wire) but there’s a strong argument to say he’d have been better than the majority of the current options at CB for Solskjaer. Good pro and person and Roma a good move for him #mufc
— James Ducker (@TelegraphDucker) October 5, 2020
Best of luck to him.