After a frustrating stint at Man Utd, Matteo Darmian could reportedly be handed an opportunity to return to Italy with Napoli next season.
The 28-year-old arrived at Old Trafford in 2015 off the back of an impressive spell with Torino, while establishing himself as a regular for Italy.
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However, he’s been limited to just 85 appearances in three seasons with the Red Devils, as he has struggled over the past two years to secure a regular starting berth in Jose Mourinho’s plans and that in turn has had a negative impact on his standing with the Azzurri.
In turn, Sky Sports claim that Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has now confirmed that they have submitted a loan offer to take the Italian full-back to Serie A for the entire season next year with an option to buy.
“We have asked for Darmian on a loan with a right to sign next summer,” he is quoted as telling Radio Kiss Kiss.
With Antonio Valencia likely to remain ahead of him in the pecking order at right-back, coupled with the arrival of Diogo Dalot this summer and the competition for places on the left side from the likes of Luke Shaw and Ashley Young, it paints a pretty bleak picture as to how much playing time Darmian will get next season.
With that in mind, it seems like a sensible solution for all parties to agree on a season-long loan deal, with Napoli looking for quality and depth at the back to cover for the likes of Elseid Hysaj and Faouzi Ghoulam on either flank.
Former boss Maurizio Sarri relied heavily on the pair along with Mario Rui, and so Carlo Ancelotti seemingly believes that having depth and options at his disposal will be important next year to compete on various fronts.