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La Liga giants Barcelona have started negotiations to secure the signing of Diogo Dalot from Man Utd, according to reports.
The Red Devils paid £19m (€22m) for the Portugal international from Porto in 2018 but things didn’t immediately go to plan for the right-back at Old Trafford.
Dalot made 34 appearances in all competitions in his first two seasons at Man Utd before he was loaned out for the season to AC Milan in 2020-21.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer still preferred Aaron Wan-Bissaka on Dalot’s return to Old Trafford but interim boss Ralf Rangnick liked him and ensured he played 30 times in all competitions last term.
New Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag has stuck with Dalot over Wan-Bissaka since taking over at the end of last season with Portuguese full-back now one of the club’s most important players.
But Dalot only has a contract until the summer of 2023, although Man Utd have the option to trigger a year’s extension, leaving the Red Devils open to the Portugal international being bought for below market value.
And now Spanish publication Sport claims that Barcelona – who are looking to sign a right-back in the next couple of windows – have ‘begun negotiations’ over the potential signing of Dalot.
Ten Hag was certain that he didn’t want to sell Dalot in the last transfer window with the Catalan giants viewing the 23-year-old as ‘a player with a total Barca profile’.
After considering other options, Barcelona have decided the Man Utd defender is the target who ‘fits best’ and the ‘first step have already been taken’ as they look to lay the groundwork for a potential transfer.
Another report from Sport insists that Man Utd ‘will ask for’ €25m for Dalot as he ‘heads’ Barcelona’s right-back shortlist.
Jose Mourinho was always Dalot’s biggest fan during his time at Old Trafford and backed him to become as good as Gary Neville for Man Utd.
“Everybody knows that he has fantastic potential,” Mourinho told MUTV in 2018.
“I don’t want to compare, especially not the number of titles but he is probably the same age as Gary Neville when he came into the first team.
“Probably he can follow Neville in this dynamic of more than 10 years as United’s right-back, with amazing conditions to improve, because as I was saying he’s 19 years old.”
Man Utd were linked to a number of right-backs in the summer transfer window with Sergino Dest and Denzel Dumfries two of the players who came up the most.
And former Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell reckons Inter Milan defender Dumfries could be a good replacement for Dalot.
On whether Dumfries is an upgrade on Dalot, Campbell told Football Insider: “I think so. Dumfries is a big threat going forward.
“Dalot has done alright this season. When a new manager comes in he assesses his squad and looks at ways to improve it.
“If Ten Hag sees that position as one that needs improving, he will make the changes. He has to be allowed to.
“Dumfries could be that guy because he is a brilliant player.”