Man Utd line up former City prospect as Dalot transfer replacement

Suraj Radia

23 Oct 2022 08:36 BST
3 min read

Diogo Dalot playing for Manchester United — © ProShots

Manchester United are already preparing for the potential departure of Diogo Dalot when his contract ends at the end of the season, with Barcelona and Real Madrid monitoring the situation.

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Dalot has established himself as Erik ten Hag’s first choice right-back this season and United have an option to extend his contract for a further year, but the 23-year-old may be sold next summer as he currently isn’t looking to sign a long-term extension.

Reports suggest Dalot could command a fee of around £35 million and, while Barca are believed to have the strongest interest in him, Real may be in a better financial position to sign him, having been told by Manchester City that first-choice target Joao Cancelo is not for sale.

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Should Dalot depart, Ten Hag is believed to have identified former City academy prospect Jeremie Frimpong as an ideal replacement, with the 21-year-old enjoying a fruitful season so far for Bayer Leverkusen.

Sky Sport Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg has claimed United are pushing for a ‘high quality right-back’ in January, or the summer at the latest.

United had wanted a right-back during the summer, having pursued the likes of Thomas Meunier, Denzel Dumfries and Sergino Dest, but the Premier League side ultimately ended up prioritising other positions.

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Frimpong’s breakout season

Having been played in a more advanced wing-back role, Frimpong is Leverkusen’s top scorer this season, with his five goals in ten games equalling the amount the Dutchman had netted in his entire career previously.

Although born in the Netherlands, Frimpong moved to England aged ten and joined City’s academy where he played alongside current United star Jadon Sancho.

Frimpong went on to join Scottish side Celtic in 2019 before signing for Leverkusen for £11.5m in 2019 and he has three years remaining on his current contract.

The signing could also impact the future of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, with the former Crystal Palace man being linked with a move to West Ham having only played four minutes so far this season.