Diogo Dalot arrived on loan from Man Utd last summer and played a rather important role in Milan’s successful season, filling in both at left-back and right-back. However, it’s not yet certain if he will remain at the club.
The Portuguese full-back made 33 appearances for the Rossoneri (all comps) and also added two goals as well as three assists to his name. Impressive numbers that, however, don’t reflect the season fully.
Dalot struggled a bit in the first half of the season but managed to pick himself up for the final six months, showing off his qualities. It remains to be seen if that was enough to convince Milan, who didn’t include a buy-out clause in the loan.
In other words, they would have to negotiate a transfer fee with Man Utd. Speaking to Gazzetta Dello Sport, as cited by MilanNews, Dalot spoke about his experience at Milan and what the future holds for him.
On his experience with the Rossoneri…
“I like to become more and more complete. The Italians love football, they always talk about it and being part of this culture has been a fantastic experience. And on the pitch, I feel I have improved a lot tactically.
“There are some defensive aspects I learned here and it was fantastic to develop these qualities too. That’s not the only thing either, as I improved in pressing high and recovering the ball as soon as possible. Very useful stuff.
On Pioli…
“He taught me that the team must be concentrated for the full 90 minutes and be aware of every single aspect of the match, of what is happening. And the belief that everything you prepare in training will matter in the match, that it will go exactly like that.”
On Milan’s season:
“Our goal from the beginning was the Champions League. It’s true that at a certain point, we also thought about the Scudetto, but the important thing was to get into the Champions League. And we are very happy to have succeeded.
“The worst part of the season? Playing without fans. Before the derby and before Atalanta, at Milanello we had a taste of what they can give us. A full San Siro is something from another world.”
On the future…
“I say that I had a fantastic year and met beautiful people. It was a real pleasure to play for Milan but now I think about the Euros and I really don’t know what will happen.”
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