Manchester United could lose their star defender Matteo Darmian in the summer transfer window with Italian giants Inter Milan plotting a swoop for the 27-year old. Darmian has been slowly growing in stature at the Old Trafford, after having hardly playing in the early parts of the season under new manager Jose Mourinho.
However, the Nerazzurri are looking for a huge revamp as they go about establishing themselves as a superpower in the footballing world and have identified the former Torino man as a key target. And with Mourinho interested in signing Benfica right-back Nelson Semedo over the summer, it may very well happen that Darmian ends up moving back to Italy. But should United go through with the deal? Should Darmian be sold in the summer?
The Italian international has appeared 15 times for United this season, ten of which have come in the Premier League and has given a good account of himself when called upon, earning the manager’s trust after having spent a good part of the early season on the sidelines.
However, Antonio Valencia’s exceptional form in the right-back position has meant Darmian has had to make do with playing as left-back, which has rendered him slightly ineffective going forward. And the competition for the left-back spot is also much tougher with the 27-year old competing with Luke Shaw, who is finally getting a look-in into the squad, along with Daley Blind and Marcos Rojo.
He has been found wanting at times going against pacey wingers and has also lacked in his contribution in attack. However, despite having found it hard to break into the first-team on a regular basis, Darmian remains a quality full-back. In a time when good defenders are at a premium, in Darmian, United have a solid operator who can play on either side of the defence.
However, if one considers the performances of United target Nelson Semedo for Benfica, the 23-year old right-back has contributed much more going forward that Darmian and has also been stronger and more solid in defence. Semedo has scored once and assisted four more goals, compared to none for Darmian. He also averages more tackles per 90 mins (2.7) than the Italy international (2.5).
Another vital stat, that highlights how effective the Portuguese has been in defence is the number of times he has been dribbled past per 90 minutes, which is at a lowly 0.3 dribbles per game compared to Darmian who has been dribbled past 1.4 times every ninety minutes, giving an insight into Semedo’s strong performances. The key aspect of the Portuguese star’s game is his pace, which allows him to run up and down the flank and cover ground quickly, which is something Darmian has lacked.
While there is no doubt Darmian is a good option to have in your ranks, Semedo seems to be an improvement on the Italian. The Portuguese full-back is younger, faster, more solid at the back and looks like a great prospect. With strong interest from Inter in Darmian, Mourinho and United should look to capitalize on the situation and ship the former Torino man off to Italy, but only after Semedo’s deal is in the works.