Jose Mourinho ’s chances of signing Diogo Dalot in the January transfer window for Roma have reportedly been dashed by Ralf Rangnick.
Mourinho is on the lookout for reinforcements in the New Year to try and address a slump at the Italian side.
Rom a are sixth in Serie A, 12 points adrift of league leaders Inter Milan after 18 matches.
Mourinho has endured a turbulent time since taking over the club in the summer following his departure from Tottenham.
He has tried to use his knowledge of the Premier League in the transfer market, with the summer signing of Tammy Abraham not the only efforts he has made in England.
Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka came close to joining Roma in the summer, while Dalot has frequently been linked with a move to the Italian capital.
Mourinho is reportedly a big fan of his compatriot and has stepped up his efforts to try and sign him in the January transfer window.
According to Calcio Mercato, following Mourinho’s request, Roma director Tiago Pinto got in touch with Dalot’s agent and had an ‘agreement in principle’ for a transfer.
However, the hopes of that move coming off have been dashed by the arrival of Rangnick, who has taken Dalot off the market.
The 20-year-old full-back had been way down the pecking order under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka the undisputed number one choice at right-back.
Yet he has been given a new lease of life under Rangnick, starting all three of United ’s Premier League games under the German’s management.
United had been keen on signing Atletico Madrid’s Kieran Trippier in the summer transfer window as back-up to Wan-Bissaka.
But Atleti’s high asking price saw Trippier stay put in the Spanish capital and Dalot kept at Old Trafford as back-up.
Have Your Say! Is Rangnick right to make Dalot his first-choice right-back? Comment here.
Now, with Rangnick in charge until the end of the season as interim manager, Dalot and left-back Alex Telles have been given more opportunities ahead of Wan-Bissaka and Luke Shaw.
That tallies with a report from Portuguese newspaper O Jogo, which reported on Tuesday that Dalot is likely to stay as Rangnick’s first-choice at right-back after making a successful start to life under the new boss.
Dalot played the full match in the 3-2 win over Arsenal, 1-0 victory against Crystal Palace and the most recent 1-0 win against strugglers Norwich.
Indeed, it seems to suggest that Rangnick has made the right-back slot one of his priorities and is clearly intent of giving Dalot the chance to prove himself.
United are unbeaten in their four games under Rangnick so far and face 19th-placed Newcastle next up on December 27.
