Why Matteo Darmian should leave Manchester United in January
According to Calciomercato, Manchester United full-back Matteo Darmian is still being tracked by Roma, Inter Milan and Juventus.
Darmian, 28, has failed to establish himself at Manchester United since joining from Torino in 2015. He was linked with Napoli in the summer, although a move never materialised and the Italian stayed put at Old Trafford.
And while Darmian was already finding it difficult to get game time, things have become more difficult for him now as youngster Diogo Dalot has jumped ahead of him in the pecking order at Old Trafford.
Dalot, a summer signing from FC Porto, has made a fantastic start to his life at United. The young Portuguese has delivered two really solid displays at right-back, which has further marginalised Darmian. So what does the future hold for the Italian?
Darmian was one of the six recruits under former manager Louis van Gaal before his second season at United. After a decent first season, Darmian’s form faded and he never managed to regain it.
However, Jose Mourinho replaced Van Gaal in 2016 and used Darmian at left-back over Luke Shaw and the Italian defender started 30 games in all competitions, including the Europa League final against Ajax.
But last season was an underwhelming one for the £60,000-a-week defender as Mourinho utilised Ashley Young at left-back due to Shaw’s injury problems and inconsistent form. Young’s resurgence in a makeshift left-back role kept Shaw and Darmian out of the team.
Failing to get sufficient playing time last season under Mourinho saw Darmian seek a move away from United in the summer. However, an unfortunate injury to skipper Antonio Valencia in pre-season forced Mourinho to block Darmian’s sale in summer.
Now with United’s full-back position well-stocked, Darmian’s playing time could be lesser than before. Also, Mourinho’s side have exited the Carabao Cup last week, which leaves the Italy international in a situation of bother.
In order to revive his career, Darmian must leave United in January. He is 28 and is in the peak years of his career but at United, the full-back is surplus to requirements.
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Hence, without any second thoughts, Darmian should leave the Red Devils in the winter transfer window to bring an end to what can be termed as a forgettable stint in the Premier League.