Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot has signed a new long-term contract with club. The Portuguese full-back was one of the key players under manager Erik ten Hag this campaign, making a total of 42 appearances for the club in all competitions.
Diogo Dalot has been one of the most improved players in the Manchester United squad since the arrival of Erik ten Hag. He was bound to receive a contract extension considering he was also one of the club’s best performers in the 2022-23 season.
The 26-year-old looks to have sorted out all his problems that many pointed out when he played under interim manager Ralf Rangnick. He has improved the defensive part of his game where he used to let attackers go past him very easily a year ago. The right-back also offers excellent offensive play which Aaron Wan-Bissaka fails to provide.
Manchester United announced on their website that Diogo Dalot has signed a new contract with the club. He has penned a five-year contract running till 2028 with an option to extend for one more year. The Dutch manager has decided to put faith in the Portuguese and include him in his long-term plans.
Ten Hag has made it clear that he will be building a team for the future. Being just 24-years-old, the full-back has shown that he can be one of the first names on the team sheet for the coming seasons. However, he is yet to stamp his authority once and for all on the right-back position. The rise of Aaron Wan-Bissaka in the later stages of the season cost him some game time.
Official, confirmed. Diogo Dalot signs new deal until June 2028. 🚨🔴 #MUFC
“Playing for Manchester United is one of the highest honours that you can have in football. I’ve grown so much and my passion for this incredible club has only increased since the day that I joined”. pic.twitter.com/w0hEn1TKrs
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 31, 2023
However, the Portuguese played almost every match for the club before the 2022 FIFA World Cup break in November. The former Ajax manager will have a clearer idea to get the most out of the defender next season. Nevertheless, Dalot might still have to compete with AWB as the Red Devils may change their stance by keeping the Englishman next season.
Why Diogo Dalot Could Play a Bigger Role for Manchester United in the Future?
This season, Diogo Dalot got the fans going when he had the ball at his feet. The supporters were excited to see him start as they knew they would be seeing more attacking game-play. It is now up to the player to keep up with the fans’ expectations week in and week out. He did show good attacking attributes this season although there was very little to show for it in terms of goals and assists.
In the 42 appearances this season, he has scored only 2 goals and assisted thrice. He surely had more chances to bag an assist or even score a goal. D gets in good positions but still needs to convert his play-making into assists or goals. He needs to become consistently prolific to be deemed as one of the best full-backs.
However, a recent change in Ten Hag’s tactic has seen the Portuguese getting less involved in the attack. He wants the defender to join the midfield to create a midfield overload. If the player uses this to his advantage, he can still be very productive with his passing, dribbling, and good positional play.
The midfield overload tactic seems to have become a trend in European football. Erik ten Hag was one of the first managers to implement it with Dalot this season. The 24-year-old has also played as a left-back and impressed both the manager and the fans. He even could be used in a similar role to that of Joao Cancelo.
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Diogo Dalot has shown the passion he has for the game and for the club. Under Erik ten Hag, he is destined to achieve bigger things with the club and at an individual level too.
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