Manchester United’s Veteran Defender Garners Interest From Newcastle United

KEY POINTS

Add Newcastle United to the growing list of clubs interested in obtaining the services of Manchester United center back Chris Smalling.

The rebuilding Premier League club has expressed a desire to sign the veteran defender, according to a report, and Newcastle coach Steve Bruce has had Smalling in his radar for some time now.

The past few years featured Smalling suit up as a trusty player for AS Roma rotation on loan. Throughout his stay with the Italian-based squad, he’s played in a total of 37 appearances and tallied three goals and two assists.

To add to these, the 30-year-old has been a consistent defender in his Serie A stint with averages of 1.9 interceptions a game to go along with 3.9 clearances an outing. Playing as a center-right, Smalling has a dribbled past per game of 0.1, coupled with a pass success rate of 89.7% and has an overall rating of 6.97. Displaying his toughness as a player, Smalling also has an won his aerial duels with an average of 3.1 per night.

This offseason has been a chase for Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho for Manchester United that hasn’t materialized yet. Given the economic impact of the global pandemic, securing financial resources are more than welcome for a team such as Manchester United. Selling Smalling’s contract may help the club as it has been reported that Manchester United could ask for at least 25 million Euros, per Fansided’s Red Devil Armada.

Finalizing a deal for Smalling will be beneficial for the Red Devils as it will either fill up a roster spot or give them more financial resources amidst the global pandemic. With Manchester United continuing to improve with the likes of Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes leading the charge, the club is aiming to get better. Players such as Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford have also made their presence felt on the pitch and have proved to be one of the better developing stars of the Old Trafford-based squad.  

It will be interesting to see how Manchester United moves forward with their lineup and if they’re able to gather enough financial resources to strengthen their club for the future. At the same time, it’s crucial also for Smalling to find a new squad that can maximize the elite abilities he still has left.

AS Roma defender Chris Smalling holds off Inter Milan forward Romelu Lukaku Photo: AFP / Miguel MEDINA