Champions League qualification is likely to be key to Roma’s attempt to sign Chris Smalling on a permanent deal from Manchester United in the summer.
Smalling joined Roma on loan from Manchester United last summer and has caught the eye with his performances at the Stadio Olimpico.
Roma have been keen to sign him on a permanent deal and the defender is also prepared to commit his future to the Serie A giants.
Manchester United are believed to be demanding a fee of €18m and for the moment, Roma do not have an agreement in place to sign Smalling on a permanent deal.
And according to Italian daily Gazzetta dello Sport, Roma’s pursuit of Smalling is largely dependent on the club qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
The extra income from the competition would help Roma to finance the deal to sign the defender from Manchester United on a permanent contract.
Smalling is claimed to be asking for a guaranteed salary of €3.5m per season, a figure a number of clubs in Europe are prepared to offer him.
Manchester United are also not against the idea of reintegrating Smalling into their squad for next season.
However, the defender and his family are happy in Italy and Roma are counting on the player’s desire to keep him at the Stadio Olimpico.
