Manchester United close to sign Diogo Dalot: Who is the 19-year old defender?

Dalot made his debut for Porto last season, and has a release clause of £17.3m.

Manchester United have been increasingly linked with the Porto defender since a fortnight, and according to various media reports, Dalot is close to signing for the club [BBC]. The defender has played seven games for FC Porto so far, including the Champions League RO16 game against Liverpool.

According to United manager Jose Mourinho, the right-back can be the potential successor to current captain Antonio Valencia.

Manchester United have had problems with their defence throughout the season. While their performances against the top-5 clubs were formidable, they dropped crucial points against lower-ranked clubs due to sloppy defending.

According to reports, United’s reserve fullback Matteo Darmian could be on his way out this season. Juventus is close to sign the out-of-favour Italian defender.

The Old Trafford side is on the verge of completing a deal with Brazilian midfielder Fred. United are also linked with Tottenham’s contract rebel Toby Alderweireld, as the club pushes for defensive overhaul for the next season.

Manchester United finished second in the league in the 17-18 season, behind derby rivals Manchester City. The blues finished with 100 points, 19 ahead of second-placed United. This has led to Jose Mourinho identifying transfer targets to strengthen the side for the next season, and challenge the neighbours.

Who is Diogo Dalot?

The Portuguese defender made his debut for FC Porto in October last year. Dalot has represented the Portugal U15 to U21 sides, and was a member of Portuguese U16 side which won the Euro in 2016. An year later, he won the Euro with U17 side.

In his limited playing time at Porto, Dalot played a right-back in the side. However, he can also play as a midfielder.

Dalot has majorly played for the B team at Porto this season, which plays in the 2nd tier of Portuguese football. However, he replaced an injured Alex Telles for seven games and did a decent job.

He completed 90 minutes in the Champions League RO16 clash against Liverpool and held his ground against Sadio Mane and co.