Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has confirmed that Matteo Darmian won’t be leaving the club this month. The Italian, a purchase from Torino in 2015 under the management of Louis van Gaal started last Friday’s 2-1 victory over Leicester City, but was widely expected to leave Old Trafford having spent much of the last two seasons behind Antonio Valencia in the right back pecking order.
But, despite the club opening the door for the player to leave, Mourinho’s comments in his pre-match press conference today suggest that it’s unlikely that a deal to take Darmian back to Serie A will be completed.
“I don’t think he will go and, you know, he cannot have any bad feelings towards us, because we opened the door for him in case his desire was to go, but it looks like it’s not going to end in a transfer and for me it is good news. For me it’s good news that Matteo is staying. He’s always an option for us, he’s always a reliable player. We know that his performance level is that one, we know that he always does a job for the team, right-back, left-back, as a starting play or on the bench, he always does it. He’s a fantastic professional. He’s a guy that is loved in the group by his human nature too, so for me in the end it’s good news if Matteo is not leaving.”
Darmain had been expected to return to the Italian top-tier this summer, with Juventus, AC and Inter Milan both said to be interested, but Antonio Valencia’s injury during the club’s pre-season tour of America saw the defender become Mourinho’s first choice at right back. With the Ecuadorian unlikely to feature against Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday, Darmian is expected to make another rare start in the league.
