Manchester United are reportedly monitoring Italian right-back Davide Calabria, as they seek a long-term replacement for captain Antonio Valencia.
According to a report from Daily Mirror, Manchester United are seeking a long-term replacement for club captain Antonio Valencia in the summer transfer window and have identified AC Milan right-back Davide Calabria as a potential candidate.
Valencia is set to bring an end to his 10-year-old association with Manchester United at the end of the ongoing season, when his contract with the club expires. Interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer recently dropped a strong hint that the Ecuadorian will be on his way out of Old Trafford in the coming months.
Manchester United recruited a new right-back in Diogo Dalot last summer, but with Valencia’s impending exit and Ashley Young, despite having signed a new one-year contract, entering the twilight of his career, the 20-time English champions are looking for a new long-term addition in the right-back position.
To that end, Manchester United have been linked with a move for AC Milan’s Davide Calabria. The Italian full-back’s agent recently confirmed the Red Devils’ interest in his client and the report from the Mirror adds that the Premier League heavyweights are continuing to monitor the 22-year-old.
Calabria is a product of the Milan youth academy, bursting onto the first-team scenes back in 2015, and has gone on to establish himself as regular in the senior team in the past season and a half. Till date, he has featured 79 times for the Rossoneri – 27 of which have come in the 2018-19 term – scoring twice and setting up five more goals.
A very solid and reliable customer in defence, Calabria is known for his tough-tackling nature and the ability to make crucial interceptions and has the capability to act as an effective outlet going forward as well. At the age of 22, the Italian full-back is bound to improve and get better, making him an exciting prospect for Manchester United.
Calabria is also being scouted by Everton, along with Manchester United, as per the report from the Mirror. The Italian full-back is contracted with Milan till the summer of 2022 and is reportedly happy at his boyhood club, having established himself as the first-choice with the Rossoneri.
It remains to be seen if Manchester United act on their interest in the 22-year-old right-back, or look elsewhere to replace the exit-bound Valencia, with Juventus star Joao Cancelo also being linked.
