Manchester United defender Matteo Darmian is reportedly a summer target for defending Serie A champions Juventus
Goal claim Juve have stepped up their pursuit of Manchester United defender Matteo Darmian. The Italian international has found chances hard to come by and has previously been linked with a move back to Serie A as well.
The 27-year-old has made 51 appearances since arriving at Old Trafford, but has been sidelined to a squad rotational role after the appointment of Jose Mourinho at Manchester United this past summer.
Juventus and Inter Milan were both linked with a January move for the versatile full-back. The Nerazzurri were even rumoured to be launching a £15 million bid for the seemingly beleaguered Italian international.
But of late, Darmian has received the backing of his boss, in the form of regular first-team action. With no starts in United’s first nine Premier League matches, the player has since appeared in 9 of the last 11 league games for the Red Devils.
The game-time though can be attributed to the absence of Luke Shaw. This has forced Mourinho to deploy Darmian at left-back, and the Italian has responded in beautiful fashion, with convincing performances in what is less of a natural position for the 27-year-old.
Manchester United are still fighting on all four fronts and with the dearth of options available in the full-back department, it is unlikely that Mourinho will part with Darmian. And neither would Darmian wish for a move, especially after fighting his way back into the Portuguese’s plans.
The aforementioned is perhaps a telling factor as to why Juventus are eyeing a summer move for Darmian, as the Bianconeri eye a reshuffle of their full-back options.
While the left-back slot seems to be in safe hands, as Alex Sandro has taken over successfully from Patrice Evra, the right-back position poses a major problem.
Stephan Lichtsteiner and Dani Alves, at the respective age of 32 and 33 are unlikely to boss the right side of the defence for long, which has compelled Juventus to look for additional recruits in that position.
The Old Lady seems to have marked Darmian as the perfect player to take over the baton from the veterans.
United too have been linked with a number of right-backs in the recent past, and it seems like Mourinho will hand left-back Luke Shaw a chance to impress. This means that while Darmian is receiving game time right now, he is unlikely to retain his place beyond this season.
This could force the 27-year-old to look for a move and Juventus present an ideal destination. It will mean a return to the league where Darmian first rose to prominence, and at a club like Juve, the 27-year-old will have a serious shot at the Serie A title.
