Matteo Darmian has long been linked with a move away from Manchester United but Jose Mourinho has confirmed that he expects him to stay at the club beyond this summer.
I don’t think he’ll go, Mourinho told reporters in his pre-match press conference ahead of the match against Brighton. He cannot have any bad feelings towards us because we opened the door for him, in case his desire was to go, but it looks like it’s not going to end in a transfer and, for me, it is good news.
Darmian is a youth product of AC Milan’s famed academy, and has previously played for Palermo and Torino. At Torino, he was a regular for four seasons, and made a name for himself with his versatility. The 28-year-old can be deployed anywhere across the defence, and has also occasionally played in midfield during his time in Italy.
Known for his pace, work rate, stamina and tactical intelligence, Darmian received his first Italy call-up in 2014, and has earned 36 caps so far.
His impressive performances in the Serie A inevitably attracted the attention of bigger clubs, and Louis van Gaal signed him for around £12.7 million in the summer of 2015.
Even though he was voted United’s player of the month for August 2015, his career at Old Trafford since then hasn’t gone according to plan.
After a fairly good debut season at the club, Darmian has been displaced as first choice right back by Antonio Valencia. And in spite of his ability to play at left back as well, Mourinho has preferred to go with Ashley Young.
A couple of injuries limited his playing time in his first two seasons, but he made only 8 league appearances last season even though he was fit for the majority of the campaign.
Juventus have been linked with him for some time now, but its safe to assume that they would have ended their interest after signing Joao Cancelo.
Darmian enjoyed a positive pre-season, playing in all 6 of United’s matches, and was also handed a start in the opening day game against Leicester City at home.
He was, however, United’s weakest link in defence in an otherwise solid performance, often getting beaten for pace by Demarai Gray down the left.
He was dropped for Young in the 3-2 defeat to Brighton on Sunday, but he can fancy his opportunities in the immediate future thanks to injuries to Valencia and summer signing Diogo Dalot.
Mourinho will be glad to have an extra option at full back, and if Darmian can improve his match fitness, he could turn out to be a valuable and versatile option for the season ahead.
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