Barcelona are poised to raid Manchester United in the pursuit of Diogo Dalot, who is still rated highly by his former employers FC Porto.
According to Daily Star, Manchester United could brace themselves for a Barcelona raid regarding Diogo Dalot. The Spanish giants have been left impressed by the positive feedback from the right-back’s former club, FC Porto, although the Portuguese outfit have iterated that the fee “should not be too high”.
That means, even though Dalot is still regarded as one of the most promising full-backs in Europe, it won’t be a good idea for Barcelona to pay a fortune for his services. And that makes sense given the fact that the 21-year-old is yet to even make a breakthrough at Manchester United.
Since arriving at Old Trafford back in 2018, Dalot has only made 33 competitive appearances for the Red Devils. During his debut campaign in the Premier League, he was often overlooked in favour of Ashley Young in the right-back slot.
While Young did leave Manchester United, the Portuguese starlet was unfortunate as Manchester United secured the services of Aaron Wan-Bissaka last summer. The English international has predominantly become the club’s first-choice right-back, with Dalot making only four Premier League appearances so far this campaign.
As for Barcelona, they are in dire need of reinforcements in the defensive unit. They don’t exactly have a designated first-choice right-back, with the position often being shared by Nelson Semedo and Sergi Roberto. The former has been a subject of transfer speculations that are linking him with a move away from Camp Nou.
Semedo still has a two years left on his Barcelona contract. But, the Portuguese international is reportedly unhappy with his lack of game-time and could fancy a move elsewhere. Interestingly, Manchester United have been among the clubs interested in his services.
However, Semedo’s departure could create further complications and put pressure on the board to sign a new quality right-back. Dalot certainly doesn’t fit the bill as he is yet to make an impact in the Premier League and lacks experience at the highest level of football.
Given the fact that the ongoing coronavirus pandemic is likely to have a major impact on the market, it would also be unwise for Barcelona to invest in unproven talents. Instead, the Catalans should look to continue their push to sign Lautaro Martinez, who has been linked with a move to Spain for a long time.
