Erik ten Hag wants to keep full-back Diogo Dalot at Manchester United
According to Portuguese outlet O Jogo (h/t Mirror), Diogo Dalot is set to become a part of new manager Erik ten Hag’s tactics next season at Manchester United.
After a successful loan spell with AC Milan, Diogo Dalot came back to Manchester United and was expected to depart again for another loan move as Aaron Wan-Bissaka had become the first choice of Ole Gunnar Solskjær.
However, interim manager Ralf Rangnick trusted Dalot, and it gave significant results in the last few months. The Portuguese are capable of managing offensive possessions while showing a decent display in defence. Owing to these natural qualities, he became the first choice full-back and played 29 matches across all competitions this term.
Manchester United recently announced that Ajax manager Erik ten Hag would be taking over the reins from Ralf Rangnick at the end of the season. The new manager is expected to bring changes conspiring the current situation at Old Trafford, but it seems he is happy with Dalot’s output.
It is believed that Erik ten Hag wants to keep the Portuguese full-back beyond the ongoing season as he has significant plans that involve the 23-year-old.
Good choice?
Diogo Dalot has given some top-notch performances during his time at AC Milan. Even though he hasn’t been very productive for United in this term, most of the Red Devils’ players have gone through the same situation; hence we can’t judge him based on only one term.
On top of that, Aaron Wan-Bissaka lacked significant qualities of a top-notch full-back, including attacking runs, good crossing and accurate passing in the opponent’s half. Hence, he might not be an excellent fit for the Dutch manager who prefers to attack and defend involving the whole unit.
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Considering Diogo Dalot is 23-year-old, he might be able to give peak performances several years down the line. On the other hand, United already are struggling in several major areas, and the manager might be relieved to keep some of the available players on his team.
Signing a quality player would cost United a significant amount of money, which they can instead invest in bringing priority transfer targets. It remains to be seen how the United board handle the situation after the arrival of Erik ten Hag.
