According to Birmingham Live, Wolves have been installed as the bookmakers’ favourite to sign Portuguese full-back Diogo Dalot from Man United this summer. As per the report, the Midlands giants are on the lookout for a new signing to replace Matt Doherty, who recently completed a move to Tottenham in the ongoing transfer window.
Born in Braga, Portugal, Diogo Dalot rose through the youth ranks of FC Porto and initially featured for the club’s reserve side before making his first-team debut during the 2017-18 campaign.
The 21-year-old’s impressive rise in his homeland prompted then Man United boss Jose Mourinho to fork out £19million to sign the versatile defender in the summer of 2018.
Dalot featured 20 times in all competitions over the course of his debut season at Old Trafford, playing 1000+ minutes in the PL, while also impressing in the Champions League.
However, a series of injuries coupled with the arrival of Aaron Wan-Bissaka last summer saw Dalot fall out of favour under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The Portuguese U-21 international clocked up a paltry 66 minutes of Premier League action last term, featuring 11 times in all competitions.
The lack of depth in the wing-back department has been a nagging issue for Wolves ever since their promotion to the PL a couple of years ago. However, such was Doherty’s quality and consistency at both ends of the pitch that Nuno Espirito Santo didn’t have an awful lot of problems and somehow managed to keep things intact.
Currently, though, Wolves have a massive task on their hands this summer to find a replacement for the Irishman, who spent 10 years at the club and made more than 300 appearances. Plus, with left wing-back Jonny Castro set to miss the rest of 2020 after suffering a knee injury, the manager has been left with very little cover on both sides of the pitch.
Much of Wolves’ success over the past two seasons has been down to the quality of their wing-backs. Now, with the new Premier League campaign set to get underway in less than two weeks’ time, they don’t have much time to look for new options in the market.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles had been extensively linked with a move to Wolves but the Black Country outfit have now ended their pursuit of the Arsenal academy graduate, as per Sky Sports. To put things into perspective, Diogo Dalot could be a welcome addition to Wolves’ ranks, especially given his versatility to play as a wing-back on either side of the pitch.
Wolves are in dire need of some immediate cover on both flanks and the arrival of a talented young player like Dalot could be a real boost to the club ahead of the upcoming campaign, as well as to their long-term plans moving forward.
The core of Nuno Santo’s squad is made up of Portuguese players, meaning that the strong Portuguese contingent at Molineux should make it easier for Dalot to adapt to his new surroundings.
Diogo Dalot showcased his talent and potential in his debut season at United. However, his future at Old Trafford looks bleak due to stiff competition for places.
The door remains open for the 21-year-old to establish himself as a key player at Wolves, with Doherty no longer in the mix and Jonny out injured. Having said that, Wolves raiding Man United for the Portuguese U-21 starlet could save them from a massive crisis.