Former Manchester United manager José Mourinho wants to be reunited with full-back Diogo Dalot at his new club, AS Roma.
Rumours in the Italian press that Mourinho is pursuing his countryman for a January transfer have been gathering and Corriere dello Sport are now reporting that the interest is strong and that the Serie A side have already put a proposal together.
‘After bringing their national team goalkeeper Rui Patricio to Trigoria, [Thiago Pinto and José Mourinho] are thinking persistently about Diogo Dalot for the right back position,’ the outlet reports.
‘He is now the preferred reinforcement for the January transfer market.
‘Dalot had already been probed in the summer, when AC Milan failed to keep him from Manchester United after last season’s loan.
‘At the time, however, [United manager, Ole Gunnar] Solskjaer had asked his executives not to sell him. However, conditions seem to have changed: Dalot has only played 83 minutes in the Premier League, without ever being a starter, and in the year that will end with the World Cup in Qatar he cannot lose his place in the Portuguese national side.’
‘Roma, like most clubs, do not have much to spend immediately but are preparing an offer that can satisfy Manchester United: a €1.5 million loan and mandatory redemption of €15 million tied to a certain number of appearances.’
Corriere make it all sound very simple but they do not explain why Solskjaer would now allow the 22-year-old to leave mid-season without any other cover for first-choice right back, Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
Arguably, the only way it would be allowed to happen would be if United were to sign another right back in the window, with Athletico Madrid’s Kieran Trippier still reportedly topping the wish list.
However, this in turn would seem highly unlikely to be sanctioned mid-season by the Spaniards.
The report’s claim that Dalot will be frustrated with his lack of game time this season is likely to be true, particularly given the poor form of Wan-Bissaka.
The Portuguese joins his countryman Cristiano Ronaldo and stars Edinson Cavani, Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Donny van de Beek, Dean Henderson, Anthony Martial and Eric Bailly as players who have been reported to be keen for a move away from United in recent weeks.