Diogo Dalot is officially a Manchester United player, with the Red Devils confirming the capture of the Portuguese from FC Porto.
Manchester United have confirmed the capture of Diogo Dalot from FC Porto on their official website and social media platforms. The Portuguese arrives on an undisclosed fee and has signed a five-year contract with the club, with an option to extend it for a further year.
Despite the official announcement not including the transfer fee paid by Manchester United, it is understood through various reports that the Red Devils had to pay more than his €20 million release clause, with many claiming United have paid €22 million in order to get the deal done swiftly.
Diogo Dalot made his first-team debut for FC Porto in the 2017-18 campaign and his career has since taken flight, with the player ably filling the void for injuries to the regular stars. Dalot added to his European Under-17 championship triumph with the Liga NOS and has been tipped to have a bright future, both at the club level and for Portugal.
At Manchester United, guarding the flanks has been troublesome. On the right, Antonio Valencia has admirably taken charge for more than half-a-decade, but is on the wrong side of 30 and needs a replacement, something Matteo Darmian has failed to be, at least in the eyes of Jose Mourinho.
On the left, Ashley Young was favoured ahead of Luke Shaw, who was thought to be the future of Manchester United at left-back. Young too, like Valencia, is on the wrong side of 30 and should be phased out. Dalot’s arrival will provide ammunition for both the flanks. Dalot becomes the second summer signing for Manchester United after Fred was announced earlier in the week.
DONE DEAL: Diogo Dalot has joined @ManUtd from Porto for a reported fee of £17.4m, signing a five-year contract, with an option to extend for a further year. pic.twitter.com/AaindOGH4k
— Squawka News (@SquawkaNews) June 6, 2018
The 19-year-old is a right-back but was deployed by FC Porto on the left, showcasing his versatility, which would come in handy. Dalot’s arrival will aid Mourinho’s mission to revamp the defence and while he will unlikely be a starter from the get-go, the 19-year-old has the capability of establishing himself as a regular with his displays and work ethic.
Mourinho has always loved full-backs who had a knack for going forward and possessed the ability to cross ably. Dalot has all the ingredients to be a success at Manchester United and it will be interesting to see how he goes about things at his new club.
