Chris Smalling’s time in Rome is over! The Englishman is set to join the ranks of Saudi club Al-Fayha and depart from the Italian capital after five years. During his spell with Roma, the 34-year-old centre-back made 155 appearances and scored ten goals. He’s supposed to sign a two-year deal and undergo his medical tests on Monday. Chris Smalling is heading to Saudi 🇸🇦The former Man Utd defender is on the brink of joining Al-Fayha from Roma ⏳#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/wVPcXBsxLN— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) September 1, 2024 However, the Giallorossi do not waste time – the replacement has already been found! It will be Mario Hermoso, whose contract with Atletico Madrid expired in June. The 29-year-old defender joined Atletico in 2019 from Espanyol, and Roma will be his first club outside Spain. In his homeland, he also wore jerseys of Real Madrid B, Real Madrid C, and Valladolid.Fonseca’s subs prevent Lazio’s blitzkriegGiven that the transfer window in Saudi Arabia closes on Monday, and Hermoso joins Roma as a free agent and can sign with a club even after the transfer deadline, both these deals can be realized even though the deadline in Italy has already passed.Smalling’s former teammates face Juventus tonight at Allianz Stadium in Turin in a Serie A derby duel. While Juve noted two 3-0 victories under Thiago Motta (over Como and Verona), Daniele De Rossi’s crew opened the season poorly, drawing against Cagliari and losing to Empoli at Stadio Olimpico. SERIE A – MATCHDAY 3FridayVenezia – Torino 0-1 (0-0)/Coco 86/Inter – Atalanta 4-0 (3-0)/Djimsiti 3 og, Barella 10, Thuram 47, 56/SaturdayBologna – Empoli 1-1 (1-1)/Fabbian 2 – Gyasi 3/Lecce – Cagliari 1-0 (1-0)/Krstovic 26/Lazio – Milan 2-2 (0-1)/Castellanos 62, Dia 66 – Pavlovic 8, Leao 72/Napoli – Parma 2-1 (0-1)/Lukaku 90+2, Anguissa 90+6 – Bonny 19 pen/Sunday19:30: (2.05) Genoa (3.30) Verona (3.80)19:30: (1.70) Fiorentina (3.60) Monza (5.40)21:45: (1.80) Juventus (3.50) Roma (4.70)21:45: (2.10) Udinese (3.35) Como (3.60)***odds are subject to change***
