Manchester United’s priority is to sign Diogo Dalot to a new deal at Old Trafford before adding a new right-back to Erik ten Hag’s squad, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has told GiveMeSport.
The 23-year-old’s contract was set to expire in the summer of 2023 before the Red Devils activated a 12-month extension clause this month, as they look to negotiate a new deal with the Portuguese international.
Man Utd contract news – Diogo Dalot
Romano has already told GiveMeSport that Manchester United have a meeting scheduled with Dalot and his representatives to extend his current contract at Old Trafford.
Meanwhile, The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell has claimed that both Dalot and Luke Shaw are in line for new deals with the Red Devils, with Fred and Marcus Rashford also having their contracts extended by 12 months earlier this month.
Ten Hag seems set to trust the former Porto man heading into the second half of the campaign, with fellow right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka looking set for a move away from Old Trafford, with both West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers reportedly interested in his signature.
And Romano believes that United will look to sign a new right-back dependent on Wan-Bissaka’s future, but their main priority will be to tie down Dalot to a new deal.
What has Romano said about Man Utd and Dalot?
When talking about the right-back situation at Manchester United, Romano told GiveMeSport: “From what I’m told, United have had many conversations with agents, but it depends on Wan-Bissaka.
“Their main priority at right-back is to sign a new deal with Diogo Dalot. So, they want Dalot to sign a new deal as soon as possible and then focus on signing a right-back.”
How has Dalot performed this season?
Dalot has impressed at both club and international level so far this campaign, with ten Hag trusting the right-back to play in 20 games for the Red Devils where he has scored one goal and provided two assists, according to Transfermarkt.
The final three games of the World Cup in Qatar this winter, having provided an assist in the nation’s 2-1 defeat to South Korea in their final group-stage fixture.
An average WhoScored rating of 7.27 for his performances on the world’s biggest stage ranked the United man as Portugal’s second-highest performer at the tournament behind club-mate Bruno Fernandes, suggesting that the £25k-per-week earner is performing at a standard which warrants a new contract.
Therefore, securing Dalot’s long-term future at Old Trafford could now become a matter of priority for ten Hag before looking to add cover in the right-back department.
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