Mourinho ‘loves’ Manchester United star as Real Madrid eye reinforcement in key position | OneFootball

Real Madrid continue working on solutions for the right-back position ahead of next season, and a new name has entered the conversation following the departure of Dani Carvajal.

According to recent reports from AS, incoming manager Jose Mourinho is a strong admirer of Diogo Dalot and would love the possibility of bringing the Manchester United defender to the Santiago Bernabeu.

It must be noted that Real Madrid’s current plan is not necessarily to sign another guaranteed starter for the role. 

With Trent Alexander-Arnold expected to become the club’s first-choice right-back, the objective is instead to find a dependable backup capable of competing whenever needed.

That search has already led the club towards several Premier League profiles.

Mourinho pushing for trusted right-back option

Mourinho admires Diogo Dalot. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

One of the leading names remains Pedro Porro from Tottenham Hotspur. 

However, Real Madrid believe the Spanish defender’s price could become excessive for a player unlikely to start regularly ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold and that situation has opened the door for Dalot to emerge as an interesting alternative.

The Portuguese defender already knows Mourinho well from their shared time together at Manchester United. 

Although their spell together was relatively short before Mourinho departed from the English club, Dalot still managed to feature six times under the manager while contributing one goal and two assists.

That previous relationship is now viewed as a potentially important factor.

The Jorge Mendes factor

Signing Dalot will be difficult. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

Apart from the duo’s past, another connection could help Real Madrid if they seriously pursue the player.

Dalot is represented by Jorge Mendes, who also represents Mourinho and has rebuilt strong ties with Real Madrid over recent years. 

Interestingly, that connection is viewed as something that could make negotiations smoother if talks eventually begin.

It must be noted that despite Mourinho’s admiration for Dalot, Real Madrid continue running into the same issue they encountered with Pedro Porro – cost.

Dalot remains an important player for Manchester United, and the English club is unlikely to negotiate easily for a defender who plays a major role every week.