Chris Smalling is in talks with Porto, and the negotiations have gone far enough that people close to the discussions describe them as advanced. Nothing is signed. But a 36-year-old centre-back who has been out of work since the summer is suddenly close to joining the team leading the Portuguese league.
Nineteen years and still going
Smalling left Saudi Pro League club Al-Fayha at the end of last season and has not played since. Rangers looked at him and the move never happened. That sort of summer usually ends one of two ways for a defender of his age, and he has clearly decided which one he wants.
The career behind him is longer than most people remember. He started at non-league Maidstone, moved to Fulham, and then spent nine years at Manchester United, where he won five major trophies including two Premier League titles. The Roma years brought a Uefa Conference League win under Jose Mourinho in 2022. He also has 31 England caps, none of them recent.
Why Porto want him
Francesco Farioli's side have won all seven of their league games this season and sit five points clear of Benfica. A run like that tends to hide the squad depth question until an injury arrives, and a free agent with Champions League experience solves it cheaply. Porto lost at home to Manchester City in their opening European fixture, which is the sort of night that makes a manager think about his back line.
Smalling's value now is not what it was. He is not quick and he will not play every week. What he offers is a defender who has played more than 500 senior games, knows how to organise a line against better opposition, and will not need six months to work out what Portuguese football wants from him.
What is still to be settled
The clubs involved are only Porto, since Smalling is not under contract, which removes the usual obstacle. That leaves wages and length, and a 36-year-old coming off a season of Saudi money in a league that pays nothing like it will have to make a decision about what the next two years look like.
For a player who has spent the last six years outside England, the appeal is straightforward enough. Porto play in Europe, they are winning, and they need a defender. If the terms work, this gets done quickly.
Transfer context: Chris Smalling, 36, centre-back, free agent since leaving Al-Fayha in the summer of 2026. Previous clubs: Maidstone United, Fulham, Manchester United, Roma, Al-Fayha. Honours include two Premier League titles with Manchester United and the 2022 Uefa Conference League with Roma. 31 England caps. Porto, managed by Francesco Farioli, have won all seven league games this season and lead Benfica by five points. Source: BBC Sport, Simon Stone.
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