Matteo Darmian may have played his last game as a Manchester United player.
La Gazzetta dello Sport reports the 29-year-old could leave Old Trafford for Juventus on loan with a view to a permanent deal.
But why has it not worked out for the Italian international who arrived to such fanfare from Torino in 2015?
The player cost United £12.7million and his contract is due to expire at the end of the current season. It’s possible United could trigger his one-year contract option which would mean anyone buying him would have to pay more than if his current deal is allowed to run down.
He has never been able to command a regular starting spot at Old Trafford and even an out of position Ashley Young has been a popular option than trusting Darmian at right back for Jose Mourinho. Luke Shaw and Antonio Valencia also got more game-time than the Italian as his United stay became increasingly uncomfortable. The situation didn’t improve under United’s interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer who has been giving more gametime to Diogo Dalot.
Mourinho offered few opportunities to Darmian in much the same way talented players such as Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne and Juan Mata had to quit Chelsea to get the first team opportunities they deserved.
To the player’s credit, he hasn’t moaned and groaned about his situation in the way others who felt the freeze of Mourinho’s cold shoulder. When asked about his relationship with the Portuguese coach he was always positive. During the summer, a host of teams were expected to make a move for the player but nothing materialised.
Back home, he remains a prize catch. His performances at international level have earned plenty of praise with his willingness to get forward in stark contrast to his role at United. Last season, his cross accuracy was excellent and his interception and clearance stats certainly suggested he’d be worthy of an extended run in the United first team.