Manchester United Transfer News: Matteo Darmian Eyed by Juventus, Latest Rumours

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho will reportedly tell Matteo Darmian he has no future at the club, with Juventus said to be keen on signing him in January.

According to Tuttosport (h/t Sam Morgan of the Sun), the Italy international is set to be put up for sale after failing to impress the Red Devils boss. The Bianconeri are said to be considering adding to their right-back options, with Stephan Lichtsteiner linked with a move to Inter Milan following the arrival of Dani Alves in the summer.

In the early weeks of Mourinho’s tenure, Antonio Valencia has played at right-back, providing energy and direct penetration from the flanks. Darmian, as a result, has seen his stock fall.

Michael Steele/Getty Images

The former Torino man impressed initially in the 2015-16 season, attuning himself well to the demands of the Premier League. However, his debut term in England was disrupted by injuries, and Darmian has yet to recover his best form at Old Trafford.

Although Mourinho has reportedly made up his mind on the 26-year-old, sports journalist Liam Canning believes the Italian should be given a chance to show his worth this season:

It is easy to see Darmian playing some role for the Red Devils this season. While Valencia has offered a brilliant outlet against modest opposition in United’s opening three league matches, throughout his career he’s been prone to lapses in concentration when deployed at full-back.

Up against slicker and smarter attacking sides, that’ll be a concern for a pragmatic manager such as Mourinho, so the United boss may turn to the more defensively capable Darmian in the bigger games.

Given his defensive skills, versatility and United’s lack of other options at right-back, it would be a surprise to see the Italian depart without a quality replacement being drafted in.

Jose Fonte Confirms United Offer

Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images

Southampton centre-back Jose Fonte has confirmed Manchester United did move for him in the summer transfer window, and he added he is happy with his current club.

“Was I disappointed the Man United move didn’t happen?,” said the veteran defender, per Rob Pollard of the Manchester Evening News. “Let’s leave that for another time. Now I’m focused on Southampton.”

Afterward, Fonte posted the following statement on his Facebook page, making it clear he’s totally committed to Saints despite United's interest:

As noted by Pollard, Mourinho was ready to part with £8 million to bring the 32-year-old defender to the club to add some Premier League experience to the setup.

Fonte has been a Southampton player since 2010 and has established himself as one of the most reliable defenders in the English top flight since the Saints' return to the division in 2012.

Aside from being a brilliant leader and an authoritative presence at the base of the Southampton side, as these numbers from WhoScored.com show, Fonte is a fine distributor of the ball, too:

Although the Portugal international wouldn’t have been a glamorous acquisition in the manner of Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the benefits of bringing him in are obvious. Eric Bailly has been a revelation since he joined from Villarreal in the summer, although at 22, he’s still young, still adapting to the Premier League and will inevitably encounter a rough patch at some point.

Additionally, Bailly is also likely to miss part of the campaign in early 2017 because of Ivory Coast’s involvement in the Africa Cup of Nations.

Fonte would have been an ideal candidate to step in at any testing points in the season, and as such, it would be no surprise to see United rekindle their interest in January.