Barcelona among several European giants monitoring Manchester United star who is in talks to sign new contract: Reports
Barcelona are among the clubs keeping tabs on Manchester United full-back Diogo Dalot ahead of the summer, according to the Manchester Evening News.
Dalot joined the Red Devils from Portuguese Primeira Liga side FC Porto for €22 million in 2019. The defender, who spent the 2020-21 season on loan at AC Milan, has since made 106 appearances for the English giants, bagging three goals and six assists.
The Portugal international has been a regular for Manchester United under Erik ten Hag this term, playing 41 games across competitions. He has clocked 3,155 minutes of playing time and only four of his total appearances have come off the bench.
However, Ten Hag has preferred Aaron Wan-Bissaka over Dalot at right-back recently. The latter has amassed only three minutes of playing time in the Old Trafford outfit's last three games.
Wan-Bissaka's recent resurgence could change the Red Devils' mind about wanting to offload him this summer. According to the aforementioned source, the former Crystal Palace man could stay in Manchester beyond this season.
Ten Hag, though, still wants to add a new right-back to his squad ahead of the 2023-24 season, as per the report. Manchester United are said to have held talks with Bayer Leverkusen star Jeremie Frimpong's representatives.
This could open the door for Dalot to leave the Premier League giants this summer. The former Porto defender's contract is due to run out next year. Although talks over a new deal have taken place, the Red Devils could cash in on him.
Dalot will not be short of options if he leaves United as Barcelona are among the clubs monitoring him, as per the said report. He has also attracted interest from Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, AC Milan, and AS Roma.
Barcelona star confirms Manchester United were in talks to sign him
Frenkie de Jong has helped Barcelona win La Liga this term, bagging two goals and four assists in 31 games in the league. However, it was not so long ago that the Blaugrana tried to cash in on the Dutchman.
The Catalonia-based club was in desperate need to raise funds to balance their books last summer. Hence, Barcelona considered selling De Jong to Manchester United, who were reportedly willing to offer a deal worth €75 million, as per The Athletic.
De Jong, though, was not interested in leaving the Camp Nou and eventually stayed put. The midfielder recently confirmed that he had the option to join the Red Devils last summer, saying:
"The club was in a difficult situation and they could have sold me for a big fee. But I didn't want to go and stayed. Manchester United spoke with Barça, even though I wanted to stay. I want to be at Barça for as long as I can."
De Jong has since shown his worth to the Blaugrana, who are now unlikely to sell the Netherlands international. He is contracted to the La Liga champions until June 2026.