This article is part of Football FanCast's Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news...

According to Italian publication Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), AS Roma are interested in making Chris Smalling's loan move from Manchester United, permanent.

What's the word?

The England international was the big casualty of the Red Devils' summer pursuit of Harry Maguire, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer revealed it was in the centre-back's own interests to seek out first-team football elsewhere.

Since joining Roma, the 29-year-old has featured in four Serie A games, helping his team keep two clean sheets in the process, and averaging an impressive 1.8 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per game in the league. Now, Corriere dello Sport claim the Italian club's hierarchy "have already communicated they are interested in making the loan a permanent one".

How much money could you make busking for a week as a freestyle footballer? Find out in the video below...

The report adds however that the "door hasn't been closed" from a United perspective, although it remains to be seen whether the Englishman does have a long-term future at Old Trafford.

End of the chapter

After joining from Fulham back in 2010 in a reported £7m deal, Smalling wasn't entirely convincing at the back for United. The 29-year-old's time at the club was littered with high-profile mistakes and stinging criticism, and it was unsurprising to see him being the one to make way for Maguire's big-money arrival in the summer.

Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Jose Mourinho's damning verdict on Smalling's inability to play out from the back has defined his career, with England manager Gareth Southgate even revealing he had dropped him from the Three Lions squad due to that specific reason. For two of his high-profile managers to come out and say that in public really put the nail in the coffin.

So whilst United may be keeping a close eye on the 6 foot 4 man's progress over in Italy, there really shouldn't be any way back for him at Old Trafford. The Red Devils simply have to move on, and close a chapter that started almost a decade ago.