Ex-England star set for Saudi transfer with World Cup winner lined up as alternative
Ex-England and Manchester United defender Chris Smalling is set to join Saudi Pro League club Al-Fayha.
The 34-year-old tasted Premier League title success twice at Old Trafford under legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson and last played for his national side in 2017.
Smalling is now poised to sign a reported two-year deal in the Middle East, and Roma boss Daniele De Rossi has already supposedly been told who will come in to replace the Englishman, with World Cup-winning German Mats Hummels primed to arrive in Italy after finding himself without a club this summer.
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While European transfer windows have closed, Saudi’s market remains open. Smalling will reportedly travel with his current side for their clash against Juventus before jetting off for a medical with his prospective new club.
Smalling joined United in January 2010; he arrived later that summer and quickly established himself as a starting centre-half the following season after injuries to Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand.
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(Image: MANCHESTER UNITED)
The physical defender was in and around the first team at Old Trafford for nine years, making 323 appearances for the Red Devils and scoring 18 goals. He also earned 31 caps for England during this period.
He departed in 2020, however, as the defender was marred by injury during his final few years at the club and fell out of favour with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Roma offered him a reprieve, initially on loan, but signed the player permanently in October 2020 in an £18million deal. The following season, he was reunited with one of his old United managers, Jose Mourinho, and went on to carve out a solid Serie A career.
(Image: Getty Images)
He also lifted the Europe Conference League trophy in 2022, in which he was named the final’s man of the match.
However, with the Englishman’s contract due to run out next season the decision has been made to offload Smalling, who made over 150 appearances for the Italian outfit.
Hummels, currently a free agent, has been tipped as a replacement, after a deadline deal for Juventus centre-back Tiago Djalo collapsed. The 35-year-old was linked with moves to Brighton and Real Sociedad earlier this summer, but reports suggest Roma’s talks with the defender are progressing well.
