Jose Mourinho is reportedly set to hold showdown talks with Matteo Darmian amid interest from Juventus in the Manchester United defender
According to a report in The Sun, Jose Mourinho has made it one of his priorities to keep Matteo Darmian at Manchester United beyond the summer. The Italian full-back is attracting interest from Serie A champions Juventus over a move in the summer transfer window.
Darmian established himself as one of the best full-backs in Italy in four successful campaigns with Torino before making his way to the Premier League to join Manchester United in the summer of 2015.
His time at Old Trafford, though, has been topsy turvy as he has filtered in and out, failing to carve out a regular place for himself in the first-team setup. But, despite not being an indispensable figure for Manchester United, Darmian has earned an admirer in his manager Jose Mourinho.
The Italy international managed just 29 appearances for the Red Devils in the recently concluded season but often turned in strong performances in those outings. As a result, the player is starting to garner attention from Italian champions, Juventus.
The Bianconeri are in desperate search of a right-back following the departure of Dani Alves, who looks set for a move to the Premier League in the summer transfer window. With Alves leaving the club, Massimiliano Allegri has Stephan Lichtsteiner as his only option for the right side of his side’s defence.
The 33-year-old, though, is no longer a regular in the first-team setup at Juventus. Hence, the Serie A champions have now set their sights on Darmian who, at 27, can provide his best years to Allegri’s side. The Italy international can also be a solution on the left side of defence, with Alex Sandro heavily linked with a summer exit.
The move to Juventus will also potentially provide Darmian the chance to play more regular first-team football instead of having to share game time at Manchester United. The Bianconeri have, in fact, made contacts with the Red Devils over a move for the player in the summer.
However, Manchester United are set to rebuff any approach from Juventus as Jose Mourinho considers the player as a key component in his first-team plans. The Portuguese manager is, thus, set to hold talks with Darmian when his squad returns for pre-season training next month.
Darmian, though, is pondering over a move to Juventus as securing regular first-team football will enhance his chances of making Italy’s squad for next year’s World. It now remains to be seen if the Serie A champions are able to land Darmian with Manchester United ready to fight tooth and nail to keep hold of him.
