Roma sporting director Gianluca Pertrachi has said that the club will do “everything we can” to keep Manchester United defender Chris Smalling beyond the end of his loan spell.
The 30-year-old joined Roma from United temporarily last summer and has impressed in Serie A, playing a total of 28 times in all competitions.
Smalling joined the Italian club in the same window as former United midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and Pertrachi has made no secret of his desire to bring keep both players at the club in the long term.
"The numbers don't lie, they have been two successful loans,” Pertrachi told Sky Sports in Italy. “We, unfortunately, lost Mkhitaryan for a physical problem for a little bit, but he's very comfortable here just like Smalling.
“We'll do everything we can to keep them, especially since they want to stay here. We'll find out in the future if we are able to or not, but I feel the players are on my side"
The current situation regarding the coronavirus pandemic also means that both players' loan deals are currently due to expire before the season is over.
However, the Roma chief is confident that a deal can be reached to keep both Smalling and Mkhitaryan in Italy until the end of the campign.
“They are all very comfortable here. Now we need to wait, see how the situation evolves and handle everything,” Pertrachi added.
“I have daily contact with them, I'm fairly confident they want to finish the season with us."
