Real Madrid are reportedly in talks with Manchester United over the potential signing of Portuguese international defender Diogo Dalot this summer.
According to Portuguese journalist Pedro Almeida on Twitter, Real Madrid and Manchester United have opened negotiations over the possibility of a summer transfer for right-back Diogo Dalot, with Carlo Ancelotti keen on the 22-year-old.
Dalot, a product of the FC Porto youth academy, made the switch to Manchester United in 2018, amid much hype from then-manager Jose Mourinho. However, a myriad of fitness issues and the subsequent signing of Aaron Wan-Bissaka in 2019 meant that the Portuguese never really managed to establish a foothold in the first-team at Old Trafford.
Dalot spent the last season away on loan at AC Milan, where he fared decently, although he was again largely used as a backup for Davide Calabria and Theo Hernandez. The 22-year-old, who made his debut for the Portugal national team at the UEFA Euro 2020, is back at Manchester United and staring at an uncertain future at the club.
And, it seems like Real Madrid are intent on taking the Portuguese full-back off the Red Devils’ hands this summer, with manager Carlo Ancelotti pushing for his signing. The right-back position was a major issue for Los Blancos during the 2020/21 term, given as Dani Carvajal struggled with injuries throughout the season while Alvaro Odriozola has never managed to nail down a spot for himself.
Lucas Vazquez did impress as a makeshift full-back and has signed a new contract as well, but it is unclear whether Ancelotti would use him in that position or his natural role in the final third. Plus, with there being doubts over the future of Odriozola at the Bernabeu, Dalot is being viewed as a direct replacement for the Spaniard.
And, as per the update from Almeida, both teams are now in talks over a possible transfer for the 22-year-old full-back. Manchester United, for their part, seem open to letting go of Dalot, as they have been scouring the transfer market for a new right-back themselves, with Atletico Madrid’s Kieran Trippier emerging as a target, along with Napoli’s UEFA Euro 2020 winner Giovanni Di Lorenzo.
It now remains to be seen whether Real Madrid and Manchester United are able to reach an agreement for the transfer of Dalot this summer, even as talks over a move for Raphael Varane also continue between the two teams.
