Juventus 'to rival Barcelona for Manchester United's Diogo Dalot'

Juventus have reportedly joined the race for Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot amid the uncertainty surrounding the Portugal international's future.

The 23-year-old has been a vital player for the Red Devils this season, making 11 appearances in all competitions, contributing two assists in the process.

Dalot had previously found it difficult to secure regular starts for Man United, but he has been the club's first-choice right-back since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked as head coach in November 2021.

The Portuguese's contract is due to expire next June, which has led to a host of speculation surrounding his future.

Man United have the option of activating a one-year extension, while there have been reports that the club are keen to agree a new long-term deal with the former Porto youngster.

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At this stage, though, Dalot's future is unclear, and Barcelona have recently been heavily linked with the right-back.

The Catalan outfit are believed to have already been in contact with the defender's representatives to express an interest in bringing him to Camp Nou for the 2023-24 campaign.

However, according to Calciomercato, there is also strong interest from Italy in the shape of Juventus, who are looking to sign a replacement for Juan Cuadrado.

The report claims that the Old Lady view Dalot as the ideal signing due to his ability to also play as a wing-back, while the defender has experience in Serie A following his time at AC Milan.

The Portuguese represented the Red and Blacks on loan during the 2020-21 campaign, making 33 appearances, including 21 in Serie A, during a successful spell at San Siro.

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Dalot recently revealed that he had the chance to join Milan on a permanent basis but wanted to stay and fight for his position at Man United.

"Milan are a great club and I loved the season with the Rossoneri. But it (transfer) wasn't just up to me. In the end I decided to stay at United and it was the right decision," Dalot told reporters.

"If I'm a better defender I owe it to Milan. Italian football is different from the Premier League and I had to adapt in just one year and playing in Serie A has helped me a lot.

"Over the past two years here in Manchester, the minutes have increased and, consequently, so has self-esteem."

Dalot made eight appearances for Porto during the 2017-18 campaign before moving to Man United, and he has now represented the 20-time English champions on 76 occasions, contributing one goal and five assists in the process.