Krishnan Sreekumar
Manchester United to extend the contract of Diogo Dalot by one year
According to The Sun, Manchester United will trigger the option in the current deal of defender Diogo Dalot to keep hold of him for an extra year, so they do not lose him for free next summer.
The Portugal international moved to Old Trafford in 2018, after the then-teenager impressed ex-manager, Jose Mourinho, with his talents at Porto. Since then, Dalot has played under numerous bosses at Old Trafford.
With the defender thriving this season under new interim manager Ralf Rangnick, the club appears ready to keep him on for another year. He has not just found game time easier to come by in recent months but also at 22, has the best years of his career ahead of him.
The right-back looked set to depart Old Trafford the previous summer after Man United sent him out on loan to AC Milan for the 2020/21 campaign. Dalot won over the fans in Italy, and his impressive displays for the Rossoneri forced Rangnick’s predecessor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to keep him in Manchester for this season.
12 more months
Under Solskjaer, right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka was the first choice for the club. However, since Rangnick took over, Dalot has worked his way back into the senior squad and established himself in the German’s starting XI.
Now, it seems that ManUnited are looking to hold on to their defender who cost them £18m back in 2018, by triggering the option to keep him at the club for another year. Presently, the right-back has 16 months remaining on his current deal.
Dalot has seen a remarkable turnaround in his Red Devils career over the past year. And now, it looks like his persistence has paid off as the club look to keep him for another season.
Compared to Wan-Bissaka, the Portuguese right-back offers more offensively and is able to link up plays with those ahead of him to greater effect. It may be these traits of his that have caught the eye of Rangnick, who has regularly played Dalot in games since his arrival late last year.
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Still only 22, Dalot has loads of years left in him to give to Man United, and the club is doing the smart thing by looking to extend his stay at Old Trafford. The player looks like someone who has huge respect and passion for the team and always tries to give it his best when called upon.
Man United are up next against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League in midweek, and Dalot will be looking to play his part in the fixture. Wan-Bissaka played against Leeds last night, which could hint at the possibility of the Portugal international starting against the La Liga side on Wednesday night.
