Manchester United defender Chris Smalling has joined Roma on loan, the Italian club have announced.

The 29-year-old, who signed a new deal until 2022 in December, was told by United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer that he could not guarantee him regular first-team football this season.

Therefore, Smalling is set to spend the campaign at the Serie A club.

“This is the perfect opportunity for me,” he told Roma’s website. “The chance to experience a new league, with a big team that has got big aspirations is exactly what I needed.”