Darmian deadline is looming in exit bid
MATTEO Darmian is on standby to leave United before the transfer window closes for Serie A clubs this week.
The defender, 28, wants to leave Manchester after three years, and he returned to Italy at the weekend as United players enjoyed a day off following the Premier League win over Leicester.
Italy international Darmian has stayed in a city centre hotel since he returned to England from holiday last month and his wife, Francesca, is not believed to have accompanied him as they pine for a permanent stay back in their home country.
Juventus, Napoli and Inter have all shown interest in Darmian, who started for United on Friday night in the absence of injured right-backs Antonio Valencia and Diogo Dalot.
Despite having two alternatives sidelined and Timothy Fosu-Mensah out on loan at Fulham, United are prepared to let Darmian depart, provided they receive an acceptable offer.
“Matteo wants to leave and I think when a player wants to leave...,” United manager Jose Mourinho said in Los Angeles last month. “If the right offer arrives you have to try to be human and let the player follow his instinct, but not at any price.
“And, until now, the offers we got for Matteo are not even close to being accepted.
“If Matteo leaves he leaves because the right offer arrives and if he stays he can be important for us.”
Darmian said: “We will see what happens because we don’t know. I want to play more regularly. Last season I didn’t play much - that’s my objective and my ambition. That’s why I spoke with the manager and also with the club about my future.
“Honestly, I’m waiting. If I stay, I stay and I do what I did up until now. If I go it is because the offer that another team makes will be good.
“To play for probably the best club in the world is a good thing and for me it’s an honour to play here and play for Manchester United. But we have to take decisions in our life and this is my decision.”
Should Darmian move before the weekend, United might have to turn to Ashley Young as their stop-gap rightback as Valencia recovers from a calf problem. Dalot is out until September with a meniscus injury.
Senior club sources have indicated they hope Darmian ends up staying Matteo Darmian at United as he is a ‘great professional.’ He has entered the last year of his United contract but the club has the option of an additional year to tie him to Old Trafford until 2020. United are not planning to sell any other players before the Fifa transfer deadline of August 31.