Matteo Darmian started the season as the starter for the left-back role for Manchester United. However, he quickly lost his place to both Daley Blind and Ashley Young. And as a result, he has not been playing with any sort of regularity over the past few months. This has started a lot of speculation regarding his future, and there are several candidates vying for his services already.
A trio of Serie A sides want to sign the Manchester United full-back. Juventus, Napoli and Roma have all been linked with the Italy international, and we could have news pretty soon if Darmian does not recover his place as the team’s starting wing-back on the left side of the pitch.
Darmian left his home country for the Premier League in the summer of 2015. He has racked up 66 appearances for The Red Devils and scored just one goal, but he is not known for being much of a scorer. He has to bring defensive stablility to the side, and has done a good job in that department. Plenty of teams could use him, and there is no question the Serie A would want him back. Darmian is highly regarded as one of the best full-backs in the country, and he is expected to play a big role in the National Team going forward.
He needs to play for that to happen, though. And that hasn’t happened with any sort of regularity of late. In fact, Darmian has played just eight times so far this season, with only two of those appearances coming from the start in the Premier League. That’s not enough, and the 27-year-old is keen to move elsewhere if he doesn’t get the kind of playing time he wants.
Where Could Darmian Play Next Season?
It’s hard to see what club would be the best for his future. Sure, most fans would want to keep him at United. He is a versatile player who can cover three or four different roles defensively and can play adequately on both flanks. But there might not be enough playing time for him at Old Trafford. Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young have settled nicely as starters. Phil Jones, Daley Blind and Luke Shaw can play as alternatives on the flanks. And Timothy Fosu-Mensah is an alternative as long as he continues his progression during his season-long loan at Crystal Palace.
Juventus would be a good alternative, but he would have to battle with Mattia De Sciglio, Kwadwo Asamoah, Stephan Lichsteiner and Alex Sandro for playing time. That’s not ideal. Napoli would be the best alternative going forward, especially since Faouzi Ghoulam went down with an injury a few weeks ago. Darmian would provide adequate cover, especially if the coveted defender ends up leaving at the end of his current contract. And while Roma might be a decent alternative, they also have enough depth at the position to splash a decent amount of cash for Darmian.
Only time will tell what will happen with the talented 27-year-old defender. But the lack of playing time could affect his future plans. And if things do not change soon, then Darmian might find himself playing with a different uniform in the coming months.
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