Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot is reportedly determined to stay put at Old Trafford amid interest from Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma.
According to a report from Caught Offside, Manchester United right-back, Diogo Dalot has taken a firm stance with regard to his future at the club. The Portuguese international has decided to stay put with the Premier League giants even as he continues to be the subject of strong transfer interest from AS Roma ahead of the January window.
Dalot arrived at Manchester United from FC Porto in the summer of 2018, with Jose Mourinho being the one signing the Portuguese international at Old Trafford. However, he has endured a topsy-turvy stint at M-16, struggling to nail down a spot in the lineup. He was sent out on loan to AC Milan last summer, where he did reasonably well before returning to United in the summer.
While it looked like Dalot would be offloaded by the Red Devils, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer decided to hold on to him due to the lack of a cover at right-back behind first-choice Aaron Wan-Bissaka. However, despite this, the Norwegian has been unable to afford any sort of meaningful minutes for the former FC Porto prospect, leading to questions over his future.
Mourinho, who was responsible for Dalot’s arrival in Manchester, now wants him at his latest club, AS Roma. The Giallorossi are in the transfer market for a new right-back in January to provide more competition to Rick Karsdorp and Jose, along with Roma director Tiago Pinto, see Dalot as a viable option.
To that end, the Italian capital outfit are believed to be plotting a loan move for the Manchester United defender in January, with an option to make his transfer permanent at the end of the season.
However, as per the report mentioned above, Dalot would prefer to stay at Old Trafford in the winter transfer window rather than seek a reunion with former mentor, Mourinho. A club source told Caught Offside: “The idea is for him to stay. Diogo is going to stay at United.”
If true, it is certainly an interesting decision from the 22-year-old, considering that he has received little to no game-time from Solskjaer this season. But, there have been questions marks over Wan-Bissaka’s recent form, which could pave the way for Dalot to get a more regular run in the starting XI.
It remains to be seen how this situation surrounding Dalot, Manchester United and AS Roma develops in the coming weeks. For now, however, it seems like the Portuguese starlet will be staying put at Old Trafford.
