Gary Neville, the well-known football expert, has warned Manchester United not to let go of this prominent player under any circumstances.
Gary Neville, the famous football analyst, advised "the Red Devils" Manchester United not to sell Portuguese full-back Diogo Dalot during this summer. He affirmed that the player, bought by José Mourinho for £19 million, has been performing well.
Mourinho once praised Dalot as the best young right-back in Europe when Dalot moved from FC Porto to Manchester United in 2019. Since then, Dalot has become a key player for the Red Devils over five seasons, appearing in more than 200 matches across all competitions.
However, the 26-year-old has not always impressed, drawing criticism from fans and club legends, including former captain Roy Keane.
Dalot's role in the team has been unclear under the 3-4-3 system favored by Rúben Amorim, and he is among several United players who seemed to benefit from Amorim's departure. Dalot returned to his preferred full-back position rather than wing-back and helped Manchester United keep a clean sheet in the derby against Manchester City and contributed to the thrilling victory over Arsenal on Sunday.
Based on these performances, Neville still values Dalot despite his inconsistent form and criticisms, and believes he should not be considered for sale.
Neville said, "One player I want to mention is Diogo Dalot. You see, sometimes many United fans criticize him heavily, but I actually think he has good potential as a full-back. He is strong in the air, physically robust, good at ball control, and can defend the post well."
"I don't think he is a world-class full-back, but he can do many things and simplify the game at times, focusing on passing to teammates. He has started playing more aggressively, and overall his recent defensive performances have been quite good."
"I think Dalot has something special. I believe he can consistently perform at a 7/10 level every week."
"We've seen him play as a right and left wing-back before, where his weaknesses were exposed several times. But if he plays as a full-back all the time, I wouldn't be in a rush to sell him."
"Others might disagree with me, but I know that position well, and I think he can perform well for Manchester United."