Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly considering a sensational swoop for Chris Smalling as an emergency backup to Cristian Romero.
According to a reports by Calciomercato, Tottenham Hotspur have turned their attention to AS Roma’s defensive stalwart and former Manchester United centre-back Chris Smalling after cooling down their interest in the blockbuster signing of Atalanta star Cristian Romero.
As per journalist Enrico Camelio, Romero’s move to Tottenham track has ‘cooled down’, and he went on to say that it seems to him that there’s an ‘interest’ from the Lilywhites’ in former Manchester United defender Chris Smalling.
Tottenham have spent heavily in the market to secure the transfer deal for exciting prospect Bryan Gil from Sevilla and are unwilling to meet Atalanta’s huge valuation for their prized asset Cristian Romer. This has forced them to look out for possible alternatives, and one of the names that has popped up is AS Roma defender Chris Smalling.
The former Manchester United defender has been plying his trade for Italian giants AS Roma for the past two seasons. After impressing during his initial loan spell, Roma decided to bring Smalling on a permanent deal from Manchester United.
Since then, Smalling has been a revelation and has successfully resurrected his falling career. He cemented his centre-back spot and has become a crucial clog for Roma. He soon got recognized for the efforts, shifts and leadership qualities that he brings to the Giallorossi.
However, Smalling experienced an injury-hit campaign last term and was forced to make just 21 appearances in all competitions, struggling to regain the best form from his first year at the Stadio Olimpico.
It is highly likely that Roma will let go one of the leaders in the dressing room, seeing as Jose Mourinho does not fancy the defender following their sour relationship in the past at Manchester United. On the look of it, Smalling is a decent pick-up for Tottenham, who are getting an experienced Premier League player who is a leader and will bring aerial presence to their backline.
But this transfer has more drawbacks than advantages. Smalling is on the wrong side of 30, and when you combine that with his recent injury record, it is a transfer that Tottenham should avoid at all costs. Fabio Paratici is clearly working wonders behind the scenes to find underrated gems this summer. The only thing stopping him would be the budget constraints put up by Daniel Levy.
Tottenham made a similar mistake in the Mourinho era too, when they opted for a young defender from the Championship instead of making a statement by signing Milan Skriniar from Inter Milan. From Romero to Smalling, it is a radical shift in transfer targets and the one which will only cause fury and anxiousness among the Lilywhites’ faithfuls.
