Roma remains well in need of Manchester United’s selling price for central defender Chris Smalling.
Smalling enjoyed a successful loan spell in Italy last season and therefore the Serie A side’s desire to stay the Britain defender on a permanent basis has been well documented.
The 30-year-old has not yet been reintegrated back to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s United squad, despite suggestions he's better defensively than the much-maligned Victor Lindelof within the wake of the humbling opening day home defeat to Crystal Palace.
There is an expectation that Smalling will leave Old Trafford to still pursue first-team football this summer, but there's no indication that a transfer is any closer with a just a fortnight of the transfer window remaining.
The Athletic reports that Roma has issued a suggestion of around £12m for Smalling, but United are holding out for closer to £20m for his or her experienced defender.
It is unclear whether a compromise is going to be made between the 2 clubs for a deal to be agreed but there remains an opportunity Smalling could yet return to the United fold.
Meanwhile, rather worrying, an equivalent Athletic report notes that United aren't prioritizing the signing of a center-back within the remaining days of the transfer window.
United have spent most of the summer exhausting all avenues in their Jadon Sancho pursuit but the glaring requirement for a replacement central defender was highlighted once more against Palace.
But it's claimed that United have identified other positions that are of more immediate concern as they appear to bolster Solskjaer’s squad before the October 5 deadline
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