Man Utd’s Dalot glad to have made Milan move

Emmet Gates

• Updated: 23 May 2023 08:44 CDT
• 2 min read

Man Utd loanee Diogo Dalot is glad to have made the switch to Italian giants Milan this season.

The Portuguese defender joined the Rossoneri on a season-long loan in order to gain first team football after falling down the pecking order at Old Trafford in recent years.

Dalot has been used in secondary cup competitions for Milan this season, such as the Europa League and the Coppa Italia, but has clocked up plenty of minutes at San Siro under Stefano Pioli.

Dalot spoke with Italian magazine SportWeek, and states that he’s happy with his contributions this season.

“When I accepted Milan’s proposal, I had a more important goal than others, which was to feel the scent of grass again,” said Dalot.

“I wanted to go back to considering myself a player, after all the injuries that had held me back in the last three years.

“Up until now I have always been at the coach’s disposal. Then I wanted to show that I deserve to play, through hard work every day.

“So far I have played 16 games. It’s been very positive for me.”

Dalot’s versatility has been key for Pioli this season, with the 21-year-old being utilised as both left and right-back, when necessary.

Milan don’t have an option to make Dalot’s move permanent, as the loan agreement was simply for this season. However it’s thought that should Milan qualify for the Champions League next season, they may make a bid to keep him in Italy.

Man Utd bought Dalot from Porto in June 2018, for a fee believed to be in the region of £18m.

However he struggled for playing time in England, making just 35 appearances in three seasons.

However, he was also sidelined for a long period last season due to a groin problem, which limited his first team opportunities.