AC Milan are closing in on the capture of Manchester United outcast Diogo Dalot on a season-long loan deal this summer.
According to Fabrizio Romano, AC Milan are leading AS Roma in the pursuit of Diogo Dalot. The Serie A giants want the Manchester United right-back on a season-long loan deal as Stefano Pioli continues his summer squad overhaul.
Dalot, during these final days of the transfer window, has emerged as a target for both AC Milan and AS Roma, who were willing to include him in a deal to sign another Manchester United defender in Chris Smalling.
Manchester United, too, meanwhile, are willing to let Dalot go on loan to AC Milan and are looking forward to having him back for next season. The deal makes sense from their perspective for multiple reasons, including the depth they have in the defensive unit.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has already found an alternative to main right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka, in the shape of Timothy Fosu-Mensah.
After suffering from a knee injury last season, the ex-Ajax starlet seems to have put Dalot behind in the pecking order, notably starting Manchester United’s opening league game against Crystal Palace, though the Red Devils lost 3-1.
Dalot, meanwhile, was involved in the comfortable 3-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion in midweek. He looked fresh and could certainly use some regular game-time as he finally looks to revive his career following a couple of disappointing years at Old Trafford.
A move to AC Milan, therefore, makes sense. The Rossoneri have shown a lot of promise under the leadership of Pioli and are one of the most in-form teams in Serie A.
At San Siro, Dalot will have the opportunity to compete with Davide Calabria and Andrea Conti for a place in the starting lineup, with the latter infamous for his awful fitness record throughout his career at AC Milan.
Besides, the hectic footballing schedule of the 2020/21 campaign should also make it easier for the young Portuguese right-back to get first-team opportunities under Pioli. His attack-oriented game should add a bit tactical flexibility from an AC Milan side who have lacked offensive inspiration from that right-back slot in recent years.
Therefore, it will be interesting to see how Dalot develops during his one year at San Siro and with AC Milan having no buy option, United should have no problems retaining his services in the long run.
