Chris Smalling has fallen down the pecking order at Manchester United (Getty Images)
According to a report in Sun Football, star Manchester United centre-back Chris Smalling is wanted by Everton on a free transfer when his deal runs out at the end of this season. The 28-year-old has been in great form this season, showing an improved form after a huge dip in the past two seasons.
His contract with the Old Trafford-based club will end next summer and he hasn’t agreed on a new deal yet. Though the talks have been going on, and the Englishman wants improved terms on his £90,000-a-week wages.
The Toffees are hoping to land the defender but United have the option to extend his stay by 12 months if needed. The Everton manager has already sent scouts to take a closer look at the 28-year-old several times this season.
But, despite all these build-ups, the Merseysiders shouldn’t put all their eggs into the basket of Smalling’s signature. Here’s why:
With all due respect to what Chris Smalling can bring to this Everton side, the Toffees could get better quality players for that position. They already have the likes of Michael Keane, Yerry Mina and co who are doing a more than decent job at the club.
To put things into perspective, Keane is in the current England squad while Smalling is not.
Furthermore, the Manchester United centre-back has had problems with fitness levels as well. Up until the 2016/17 season, he used to miss a big chunk of games due to injuries, making it difficult for the managers to plan the game time out.
In football, centre-backs are the ones who play more than 85% of the games throughout the course of a season to instil stability in the team. Smalling’s injury and inconsistent form would prevent Marco Silva from being able to trust him week in week out for 30-35 matchdays. And that is precisely why Everton shouldn’t break their neck to sign the United stopper.
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Instead, they can look forward to making Kurt Zouma’s stay permanent and concentrate on building a partnership between Keane and Mina. The duo can be the real deal at the back for the Merseysiders.
