Report: Jose Mourinho Not Keen On Matteo Darmian’s Departure

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We have three days left on the January transfer window. And right now, the market is not closed regarding Manchester United players.

Aside from the potential arrivals, there has also been a lot of talk regarding potential departures. Marouane Fellaini, Daley Blind, Luke Shaw and Matteo Darmian have been some of the names that have been linked with an exit. However, one of those might stay with the club despite the clubs have enquired about him.

Jose Mourinho is willing to do everything he can to stop Darmian from leaving the side this month. The Portuguese tactician wants to keep the Italian international on the squad at all costs, since he believes Darmian will eventually find enough chances to play on a regular basis considering the team is alive in three competitions.

Despite the fact Darmian has not really impressed this season, he is still regarded as a top full-back. He is also a regular starter for the Italian national team, so the pedigree is certainly there. AS Roma, Juventus, Valencia and Benfica want the former Torino star. But Mourinho has insisted that the player won’t be leaving before the end of the season.

The numbers do not back Darmian up, though. He has featured just eight times in the Premier League this term, and has eight starts in other competitions. He has been playing mostly on the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup, so perhaps he won’t be anything more than a back-up until the end of the campaign. This kind of depth speaks volumes of the kind of squad United currently have. Darmian could easily be a starter in most teams in the world. And if he has failed to crack the starting XI on a regular basis of late it is not because of a lack of quality. It is simply because United are far stronger than what they were two years ago.

He has not lived up to his previous performances this season, but is still a worthy member of the first-team squad. At the very least, he can be an adequate backup for Antonio Valencia on the right flank.

And that’s more than enough reason to keep him on the team until the end of the season.