Former England ace Chris Smalling could be on his way to pastures new once he’s over his current injury, and should he leave Roma in 2024, it could prompt a mass exodus including manager, Jose Mourinho.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the charms of the Saudi Pro League could be tempting enough for Smalling to make the switch there as early as January next year.
Though that would likely mean that the Giallorossi would need to enter the transfer market for two centre-backs rather than one, though that’s unlikely to be a deal breaker given his age (33).
Argentinian World Cup winner, Paulo Dybala, could once again be the subject of interest in the transfer market, and he too is likely to be courted by the Saudi’s.
Gazzetta note his paltry €12m release clause which is clearly well within the financial reach of the Pro League.
Whether such a move would appeal to the 30 year old is unclear at this stage.
Mourinho would clearly be a prize capture for the Saudis, however, the likelihood that the ‘Special One’ would return to the Premier League is higher than yet another new experience for a manager who has been there and done it all.
Clearly, for AS Roma at least, the next window or two are likely to be tumultuous, and it’ll be interesting to see how the club looks when they line up for the first fixture of the 2024/25 season.
Smalling can join the Saudi Pro League.