Manchester United will confirm Matteo Darmian as Louis van Gaal’s second signing of the summer, with the club aiming to have the Torino right-back take his place on the tour of the US when it begins on Monday.
Darmian will join for £12.9m plus £2m of add-ons, and will sign a four-year contract with the option of a further season. He will follow Memphis Depay, who signed earlier in the close season from PSV Eindhoven.
Darmian, 25, will earn in the region of £30,000 a week with further incentives. His acquisition means Van Gaal has met one of his priorities in the summer window – the recruitment of a top-class player in the position.
After missing out on Barcelona’s Dani Alves and deciding against Southampton’s Nathaniel Clyne – despite him preferring United before signing for Liverpool – Van Gaal believes Darmian’s defensive qualities and international pedigree can solve what was a difficult position for the manager last term.
Darmian started all of Italy’s group matches at last summer’s World Cup in Brazil and has a total of 13 caps for his country. A pacy defender, he can also operate at centre-back though it is the right-side of the rearguard where he has most impressed.
Last season Van Gaal played Phil Jones and Antonio Valencia at right-back though each was an auxiliary option. The Dutchman does not believe Rafael da Silva, the most experienced right-back at the club, is of the requisite quality defensively.
Van Gaal also hopes to add Southampton’s Morgan Schneiderlin before he and the squad fly to Seattle on Monday to start a four-match, three-state tour. The meetings with Club América, San Jose Earthquakes, Barcelona and Paris Saint-German are the only games before United start the Premier League season on 8 August with Tottenham Hotspur’s visit to Old Trafford.