Former Manchester United defender Chris Smalling has claimed that his departure from the Premier League club could have been handled better.
The 30-year-old was told that he is not a key part of Solskjaer’s first-team plans quite late in the window and it almost cost him his move to Roma.
The former Fulham defender was on loan at the Italian club last season and he managed to impress with them.
When he returned to Old Trafford earlier in the summer he expected more clarity from the club regarding his future.
According to the defender, Manchester United informed him that his days are numbered once the Premier League transfer window was shut.
At one point it seemed like his return to Roma would collapse but the defender managed to secure the transfer with just a day left of the Italian transfer window.
“I was just a bit frustrated. One, I would like to have been told earlier and then, secondly, I was only able to go with just a day left of the Italian window being open,” Smalling said during an interview with the Telegraph.
“I knew that my days under Ole (Gunnar Solskjaer) were pretty much numbered. The English window had shut. I was left in a very s*** situation. I had to decide. After I had that chat [with Solskjaer] it was a case of, “I’m not sure when your next game will be.” In an ideal situation, I would have known early in the summer and made plans and it almost got to the stage where I had a day left. My wife had just had a kid as well. There was a lot going on that happened at the last minute.”It is understandable why the 30-year-old defender is frustrated and there is no doubt that he should have been treated better.
However, Smalling will be delighted to have secured his long term future now and he will be hoping to establish himself as a key player for Roma in the coming seasons.
He played an important role at the Italian club last season and he will be hoping to perform at a high level this year as well.
