adminMANCHESTER United are set to sign £14.4m Italian right-back Matteo Darmian as Louis van Gaal strengthens perceived areas of weakness in his team and restore them to title challengers.
Negotiations with Torino have progressed smoothly and Darmian looks set to become United’s second major signing of the summer following the arrival of winger Memphis Depay last month.
Van Gaal identified the right side of his defence as a weak link at the beginning of the summer and the 25-year-old Italy international certainly fits the bill. But who is United’s new boy?
Torino have been upwardly mobile in Serie A for a couple of seasons now and, following a ninth-place finish last season, their president Urbano Cairo was braced for interest in the impressive Darmian.
Cairo knew that Turin’s second club will never be able to offer Darmian Champions League football and, sure enough, three offers from leading European clubs arrived as the transfer window opened.
They are believed to have been from fellow Italian sides Roma and Napoli, plus United, who are returning to Europe’s elite competition following one season away.
With Rafael da Silva and Jonny Evans expected to leave Old Trafford, reinforcements are needed at both right back and centre back. As an Italy international, Darmian is tailor-made for the former role and would be first choice.
Born to a family with Armenian roots, Darmian grew up in the Lombardy town of Legnano, 12 miles from Milan.
Having honed his skills by playing with his friends in the main square in Rescaldina, where his father coached the local team, Darmian was spotted by AC Milan scout Beniamino Abate.
He entered Milan’s youth academy at the age of 14 and a first-team debut came aged 16 in a Coppa Italia tie with Brescia on November 28, 2006. His Serie A bow followed eight months later but despite being a star in the Primavera (youth) side, Darmian failed to make the grade and appeared only four times for the seniors.
After a season on loan at Padova, the 21-year-old Darmian was moved on to Palermo in a co-ownership deal worth €800,000 (£573,000).
But, hampered by injuries, Darmian’s stay in Sicily would last just one season of 16 appearances and it seemed his career was lacking a bit of impetus and direction.
There was no need to fear, his big break was just around the corner in the form of a move to Torino, where he made the right-back spot his own and persuaded Cairo to stump up the total of £1.4m required to buy him outright.
Nurtured by Torino, Darmian turned into a dynamic wing back, capable of functioning on either flank with a strong reading of the play, pace, touch, tackling and stamina.
Van Gaal was alarmed last season at United’s struggles when defending set-plays and hopes Darmian’s tactical discipline and presence will help to partly address this problem.
The Dutchman was also forced to abandon plans to play three in defence, making use of wing backs unafraid to push on.
The tempo of the Premier League and a certain technical rigidity from some players made this an impossibility.
Darmian may be better suited to this role but Van Gaal would be wise to stick to a four-man defence if United are to avoid their travails of the first half of last season.
He went from strength to strength at Torino, becoming pretty much an ever-present in the team and helping them into the Europa League following a seventh-place finish in 2014.
Darmian was named in the Serie A team of the season for 2013-14 and his eye-catching performances earned him an unexpected place in Italy’s World Cup squad.
It meant his competitive debut for the Azzurri came against England in the sweatshop of Manaus, Brazil, and he helped his team to a 2-1 success.
With characteristic modesty, Darmian said at the time: ‘If you’d told me eight months ago that I’d be playing in the World Cup, I would have burst out laughing. — Dailymail.
Online Reporter