Diogo Dalot of Manchester United is one of the players Barcelona has been eyeing as a potential right-back reinforcement.
The Portuguese international has been at Manchester United since 2018, but it has only been in the last 12-15 months that he has established himself as the team’s first-choice right-back ahead of Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
Barcelona, who have no shortage of right-back options, had been interested in Dalot, especially since his current contract with the Red Devils was set to expire at the end of the current season.
However, the 23-year-contract old’s included a unilateral option for the club to extend his stay by another year, which they have already done.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Manchester United is attempting to sign Dalot to a long-term contract at Old Trafford.
According to the report, while the renewal agreement is not yet fully closed, it is in an advanced stage.
The Premier League club and Dalot’s agents are said to have been in contact since the end of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. United has also reportedly tabled a five-year contract, the terms of which are currently being discussed.
Dalot, whose market value is estimated to be around €35 million, admitted last month that he was happy in Manchester and had confirmed negotiations for a new contract.
“We are in a position to say that we are negotiating [my contract] and how both parties will benefit, but it is no secret that I am delighted to be here. “I love this club, and I love playing for this club, so we’ll see how things go,” he said.
Now, it appears that a five-year extension is nearing completion, making his signing for Barcelona in the summer nearly impossible.
The Blaugrana are still looking for a top-level right-back and could prioritize a move for Villarreal’s Juan Foyth, while Bayern Munich’s Benjamin Pavard is also a possibility. However, any hopes of signing Dalot in the summer appear to be fading quickly.
Leave a Reply