Chris Smalling 'agrees new two-year contract at Roma worth £3.1m'
Chris Smalling ‘agrees new two-year contract at Roma worth £3.1m per season’… as the former Man United defender ends speculation over his future amid Inter and Juventus interest
- The contract will run until June 2025 and could see defender end career in Rome
- Smalling was keen to stay at Roma after rediscovering consistent form in Serie A
- Extension was at the top of Mourinho’s wish list –despite summer move rumours
After months of uncertainty, Chris Smalling has put pen to paper to extend his spell at Roma until June 2025.
The English defender – who has been at the heart of the side’s defence in the capital since his arrival in 2019 – has signed a two-year contract worth approximately £3.1million (€3.5m) per season, including personal and team bonuses, after his agent travelled to Rome on Monday to ensure the deal went through.
As per Corriere dello Sport, the contract will hand Smalling a salary of £3.34m (€3.8m) for the first year, and £2.8m (€3.2m) in his second, with bonuses that raise a high bar. These bonuses will be based on both individual and collective performances.
In signing what could be the last contract of his career, Smalling has made good on a long-held wish to stay in the Eternal City long-term. His entire family are said to be enjoying life in the Italian capital.
The 33-year-old lives in a prestigious villa in the city, close to the EUR district, where Smalling can often be spotted mixing with fans of the Giallorossi in nearby bars.
Chris Smalling’s career at Roma has blossomed and the club’s reward is a new two-year deal
Tammy Abraham (R) is another English player who has taken to life in Serie A extremely well
Manager Jose Mourinho put the defender’s continued involvement with the club at the top of his wish life – and the decision may impact his own future in the Eternal City
But discussions with Roma about renewing the England international’s contract were complicated by Smalling’s desire for a deal lasting at least 24 months, and his rejecting of one with an automatic 12-month extension.
This allowed clubs such as Inter Milan and Juventus to circle, with both clubs keen to shore up their backline. But, as per Messaggero, ahead of Jose Mourinho’s side’s key Europa League clash against Feyenoord in their first quarter-final meeting, Smalling broke the deadline, convinced in part by the strength of feeling for him amongst Roma’s fanbase.
Smalling took a chance on the Giallorossi during his loan move in 2019, taking a pay cut to put his time as a United outcast behind him.
Four years later, after the player has become a lynchpin in the side and helped Roma win the inaugural Europa Conference League tournament last May, the club’s owners, the Friedkin family, were keen to ensure his requests were met and show their gratitude.
Smalling’s extension is the best possible news for Mourinho. In fact, the Roma coach had the deal going through at the top of his wish list.
But despite this, we will have to wait for the end of the Serie A season to understand the future of the coach who showed deep faith in Smalling at United, as well as in Rome.
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