Roma boss Fonseca keen to keep Manchester United loanee

Roma head coach Paulo Fonseca has confirmed his intention to keep Manchester United loanee Chris Smalling at the club next season. 

The English centre-back has enjoyed a renaissance campaign with the Italian side and is one of the top-rated loanees in Europe this season. 

Roma are looking to make his move permanent, with Fonseca confirming to ESPN his intention to keep Smalling for at least another season. 

"I will do everything I can to keep him at Roma next year too. I know he wants to stay, let's see what happens," Fonseca said. 

"He's an amazing man, so humble, so professional. He is adored by the fans and established himself as one of the leaders in the dressing room. 

"It's not easy for English central defenders to adapt so quickly to Italian football, the record there isn't good. But he has been amazing." 

Smalling has two years left to run on his current contract with Manchester United and they are looking to bring in at least £25m for the 30-year-old. 

Reinforcing a statistically calculated WhoScored strength of 'aerial duels', Smalling is winning more aerial duels per game (3.7) than any other defender in Serie A this season.