Transfer News: Tottenham Hotspur join the race to sign AS Roma defender Chris Smalling
Tottenham Hotspur have joined the race to sign AS Roma centre-back Chris Smalling, according to Sky Italy (h/t The Sun). Juventus and Inter Milan are also interested in the 33-year-old.
Smalling sees his current contract expire at the end of this season and it is unclear whether the Serie A club wants to offer him a new deal. The player although is believed to be wanting an improved two-year deal.
A former Manchester United star, the 33-year-old has found his form since he joined Roma in 2020. A crucial player for Jose Mourinho, he helped the Giallorossi win the UEFA Conference League last season.
This season, the former England international has been a crucial player for his side featuring in all their 21 games so far in all competitions, and even scoring three goals in the process.
Antonio Conte has a good defensive line-up to choose from with Cristian Romero, Ben Davies and Eric Dier being the go-to options for a majority of the games. Loanee Clement Lenglet has stepped up at times, but others have not.
Davinson Sanchez and Japhet Tanganga have struggled to provide good competition to the regular players, leaving the boss to heavily rely on them for most of the season.
However, Smalling who is 33 will not be a long-term solution to the problem. Despite him being at the top of his game, it would make more sense to invest in a young defender.
But considering the hectic schedule in the second half of the season, signing the former United defender for a short term could prove beneficial for the club. The defender is also likely to be available for a cut-fee price and his immense experience could help make our backline stronger.
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The centre-back has multiple suitors to choose from and it will be wise for Conte and co to be prepared to offer a good deal to the player to make him prefer us over the others. It remains to be seen if Spurs make an offer for the centre-back going forward.
