Jose Mourinho Wants Rid of Matteo Darmian Amid AC Milan, Valencia Rumours

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is reportedly eager to cut his squad to 22 players, and full-back Matteo Darmian is one the club are open to selling in the January transfer window. 

According to Miguel Delaney of The Independent, AC Milan and Valencia are both interested in signing the Italy international, while United could use him as part of a move for Juventus' Alex Sandro in the summer if they fail to offload him in January.

Per Onda Cero (via the Daily Star's Owen Fulda), United will demand around £13 million for Darmian, a similar figure to what they paid to sign him. 

The 28-year-old moved to United from Torino in July 2015—when Louis van Gaal was in charge at Old Trafford—but has only been a back-up since Mourinho succeeded the Dutchman in May 2016.

He can play either as a right-back or left-back, or as a wing-back on either flank, so it is little surprise he is attracting interest. He has won 36 Italy caps.

But, as noted by Delaney, he has never really settled at United. 

Antonio Valencia is effectively immovable as United's first-choice right-back given he is one of the best players in the position in the Premier League.

Meanwhile, Mourinho has yet to settle on a regular starting left-back, with Ashley Young, Luke Shaw, Daley Blind and Darmian all filling the position in 2017-18.

The Italian has been the least used of the full-backs in the current campaign, staring just four times in the Premier League and UEFA Champions League.

And, with Cameron Borthwick-Jackson having recently returned from his loan spell at Leeds United, Darmian's opportunities could now become even more limited.

It is little surprise United are open to Darmian departing in the current transfer window, and the player himself would surely be open to a switch to Milan or Valencia, where he should get a lot more game time.