Chris Smalling has made 383 career appearances at club level (Getty Images)
According to Corriere dello Sport (h/t The Express), Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti is plotting a summer swoop for Manchester United defender Chris Smalling.
The Englishman, 30, joined AS Roma on a season-long loan from Manchester United in the summer. He has impressed on loan at AS Roma, playing 19 games in Serie A. Overall, the centre-back has made 25 appearances, scoring two goals.
The Corriere dello Sport (h/t The Express) claims that if AS Roma fail to qualify for next season’s Champions League then it’ll be impossible for them to afford to sign Chris Smalling permanently from Manchester United. Smalling’s performances in Serie A haven’t gone unnoticed, with Tottenham also interested in securing his services this summer, the report adds. (h/t The Express)
Everton have improved under Carlo Ancelotti as they have surged to ninth place in the table and are now just five points behind fourth-placed Chelsea. When Ancelotti replaced Marco Silva permanently at Goodison Park, the club was flirting with the relegation zone.
Even though the Toffees are now back in the hunt for a spot in the top four, they are still defensively shaky. Mason Holgate, Yerry Mina and Michael Keane have not been consistent throughout the season and are all capable of having erratic moments. Beyond the trio, however, Everton don’t have enough depth in central defence.
Relying solely on Mina, Keane and Holgate in defence next season would not be a wise choice, thus, signing a centre-back in the summer would be wise of Ancelotti. Having said that, the Italian must sign Smalling from Manchester United.
The 31-cap England international has performed really well on loan at Roma under Paulo Fonseca. He has helped the club to fifth place in the league and the last 32 of the Europa League.
A vastly experienced player, Smalling joined the Red Devils in 2010 from Fulham and has played over 320 games in all competitions. His experience could be a useful attribute for the Toffees, who have leaked 38 goals in 34 games. There’s no doubt the 30-year-old would add value to Ancelotti’s side.
Thus, the Toffees must definitely attempt to sign Smalling and he could be a really useful player for Ancelotti’s Everton next campaign.
