Manchester United showed a willingness to sell Diogo Dalot to AC Milan after his loan spell but the management chose not to take it, according to a report.
As Calciomercato.com write, Milan fans might remember Dalot as a reliable full-back who was perhaps let go a little too easily. Having arrived at the Rossoneri on loan from United in the first post-Covid season, Diogo Dalot had been chosen by Paolo Maldini himself to reinforce the flanks.
The Portuguese defender showed some solid performances after a difficult start, amassing two goals and three assists in 33 matches across all competitions. Not only that, but Stefano Pioli found him a very versatile option as he played right-back, left-back and even as a right winger.
However, when decision time came and his loan spell was done, the management considered the request of €20m by the Red Devils for a permanent deal to be too high. The former Porto man thus went back to Old Trafford, where he has since thrived.
In three years Dalot has become a pillar of United as well as an almost immovable starter for the Portuguese national team, with which whom played in the latest editions of both the World Cup and the European Championship.
It is an exponential growth that has led him to be not only a fan favourite but also one of the most appreciated players by professionals and team-mates, the latter of whom elected him Player of the Year for 2023-24 after a season with three goals and five assists.
Now Milan are looking for a new right-back and a deputy left-back, and they might just be feeling some regret that they didn’t invest €20m – an amount that has now become a token investment – to bring Dalot back.
It’s always easy to say this in hindsight, but also 20 mill was a lot before we won the scudetto… now we have several years if CL income as well, and much more balanced books than we did. Darmian is the real swing and miss on the full-back, if we’re reminiscing about those…
Dalot did nothing to justify keeping him, and being picked as Man U’s player of the year shows just how awful they have been. He is at best, a servicable fullback.
Quite right.
I clearly remember offering nothing much to justify the 20m, or whatsoever, buying clause.
Furthermore, he is part of a MU squad which had another mediocre -if not, failed- season. Have watched some of MUs matches and still couldnt see anything special.
No regrets to my eyes.
Lol yeah he’s better than Calabria with his eyes closed, but denial is strong amongst you people right now.
Dalot simply wasn’t worth the 20m at the time. Only considered a missed opportunity several years later. If the club did buy him at the time for that price, most fans woyld have been up in arms.
Manchester United is awful this season outside of FA Cup.
Transfermarkt rates him at 35M. It’s substantial growth, for sure, but nothing to lose sleep over. During roughly the same period, they got Thiaw, Kalulu, and Tomori for about 30M, now worth a combined 90M or so. Can’t have every dice roll your way.
I didn’t realize there was that option to buy him at the time. This is the first time I’ve heard that. Interesting 🤔
He would have solved the backup conundrum for both flanks
I love how this says we “missed” out on Dalot considering Man Utd has been on a downward spiral since Ferguson left. A “pillar” from a team that finished the worst it has ever done in the prem league era. I definitely think it’s an upgrade from Calabria. To me we need a better starting option at RB, but to thing Dalot would’ve made the difference is a long shot.
Thank You, I wold not buy him for 2M. No regrets whatsoever, was really happy whne we let him go
Unpopular opinion but I really liked him and I think he showed big improvement even by end of season. Not saying he was worth the 20M or that we could allow ourselves the purchase, but I think he would have been a more complete player if he remained with us. Also I remember CR mentioned on several occasions when he left the Leaky Trafford that he has great work ethics and is one of the best in the current squad. After all a player is as good as his teammates allow him to be.
Well, goes to show you that Calabria isn’t that terrible. Calabria has come on top from pretty strong competition – this guy and Florenzi aren’t amateurs.
I don’t remember anything special out of Dalot’s time at Milan.
Manchester United has been an absolute disaster defensively for years. Dalot did get better as time went on but he wasn’t worth 20 million.
We shouldn’t be loaning players in.
If we can’t afford to buy a player then we stick with what we have.
The summer Dalot arrived we sold Ricardo Rodriguez. Great examples of completely pointless set of transfers.
Didn’t was he a dry loan without an option to buy?
I thought he choose to return to United.
No! Maldini returned him to Utd, as he boy, even whilst being there, insisted he wants to go back to Milan. Even Solskjaer “admitted” it, “wondering” WHY WOULD HE WANNA GO BACK TO MILAN WHEN HE’S AREADY IN MAN-U!
ONE MORE FLOP BY MALDINI!
I don’t believe you for a second. Source?
Man this is poppy cock.
When and when was this written or done.
You just made this up to bash maldini😂🤣😂
As expected… In the city of the blinds, someone with one eye is always their king.
As I remember Dalot was only a subs or rotational player in Milan at that time. He scored a goal? Theo and Calabria could score goals as well. Assist? Even florenzi made an assist or two. So, 20mil for subs? No regret at all
Yet,one of the “pearls”, out of the 35+ signings by Maldini, who brought us around 30 complete misses, with only 4,5 good signigs, and yet so many ppl praised him as one f the creators of new Milan.
Well, Jeffrey Moncda, with only 10 signings in one mercato, managed to bring us Ruben, Pulisic, Chukwueze, Reijnders, Musah, etc…. at llest 5 to 7 strong players who are becoming the core of the Milan after Maldini!
FACE IT PPL! Maldini was a greatest player in his position,but far away from being a great sporting director! We’re all better off without him!
🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️
You are just ahh.
It’s not worth it.
Delusions can. Only be cured with willful knowledge, and you are not ready to embrace it.