Gianluca Petrachi insists Roma will do all they can to sign Chris Smalling outright if the defender wants to stay.
Smalling has been outstanding for Roma since joining on loan in the summer from Manchester United, where he had fallen out of favour and become a scapegoat to some.
His move to Roma has allowed him to prove everyone wrong, as he has demonstrated the full skillset required by a modern day central defender.
Many would like to see his loan become a permanent move, but Man Utd are said to be holding out for a fee of over €20m.
Sporting director Petrachi is confident, however, that a deal can be done if Smalling wants to stay.
“There is a chance,” Petrachi told the Daily Mail. “The player will choose what to do. If he really wishes, we will be happy to have him with us permanently.
“We are very happy with Smalling and he knows it. With Manchester United, the relationship is excellent, we have an excellent feeling with the club.
“The boy is charismatic. He loves Rome and the Italian lifestyle.
“I think it’s obvious how it sounds: it’s finally peaceful. Smalling finds himself very well in Rome, lives well and has returned to great levels.
“He follows an Italian course to improve his grasp of the language. This made me very happy because it shows that the boy is intelligent.
“Technically he is very strong. I think it is fundamental for a sporting director to understand how some players can do well. I thought this move could work and I’m happy that the results prove me right.
“My characteristic has always been to choose guys with determination and desire to do well. Smalling wanted to demonstrate his strength. My goal is to make people play better and create harmony around them. He needed that.
“I was looking for an aggressive central defender to support a young man like Gianluca Mancini. Smalling was perfect for my football idea to help Mancini to grow rapidly.
“Smalling is a serious and professional guy, a good person.”
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