Diogo Dalot made his debut for Porto last February in the Primeira Liga when he was substituted in during a 5-0 win against Rio Ave FC. In his first start against Portimonense, he grabbed 2 assists in the game. He made his UEFA Champions League debut against Liverpool at Anfield and kept a clean sheet against the likes of Mo Salah, Sadio Mane, and Roberto Firmino.
His impressive rise at Porto made Manchester United splash £19 million for him in the summer. He was suffering from a knee injury at that time, but it did not stop Manchester United from buying him as they saw immense potential in the 19-year old. Jose Mourhino hailed him as the “best right-back in his age group” and said he will be United’s right-back for the next decade. The 19-year old Portuguese can play on both as a left-back and right-back and provided United cover on both sides of the pitch.Diogo Dalot had to wait for his debut till September as he was still recovering from his injury he sustained at Porto.
He made his debut against Young Boys in the Champions League and impressed a lot of Manchester United fans and pundits. His step-overs and overlapping runs reminded many of the fans of United great Gary Neville.
He showcased his brilliant crossing ability against Derby in the EFL cup 3rd round when he assisted Fellaini with a brilliant cross in the dying moments of the game. He made his Premier League debut against Southampton in a 2-2 draw at Saint Mary’s stadium. His best performance in the United shirt came in a 4-1 win against Fulham at Old Trafford. He was always on his toes and exploited the right-wing perfectly. He delivered numerous dangerous crosses into the box and was unlucky not to grab an assist that day. He has played 1036 minutes in all competition this season, providing 3 assists.
In the previous 2 games, Diogo Dalot has been playing on the right side in the front 3 as a right-winger due to injuries to Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard. And his performance has been great in both these matches. With his crossing ability and his pace to beat the full-back in one-on-one situations, he is providing United what they have been lacking since Nani left Manchester United, width on that right-hand side. Both Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard like to drift inside in the no.10 position, not providing enough width.
Diogo is still 19-years old and can still experiment with his position. He can switch from being a full-back to a right-winger for Manchester United. And in case you didn’t know, Gareth Bale used to be a left-back in his Southampton days and was converted into a winger by Harry Redknapp at Tottenham. Given his ability, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer can try and do the same with Diogo. If it succeeds, United get a young winger with brilliant crosses in him. And if it fails, they still have a full-back who can be their next Gary Neville.