Man Utd misfit drops hint that he could seek exit due to being homesick

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Man Utd defender Matteo Darmian has seemingly opened the door for an exit from Old Trafford after admitting that he misses Italy.

The 27-year-old arrived at United in 2015, having impressed for Torino and established himself as a regular fixture in the Italy squad.

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However, his involvement at Old Trafford has gradually dropped, as he went from 39 appearances in his first season with the Red Devils to 29 the following year before making just 17 appearances across all competitions last year.

That trend appears set to continue this campaign as he’s been limited to just three outings, and so perhaps that is also a factor in Darmian’s decision to openly admit that he misses Italy.

“I must say, I really do miss Serie A and Italy now,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport, as reported by Sky Sports.

“I know that I am at one of the best clubs in the world and I am proud to be at Manchester United, but I do miss Italy. I love my country. Returning to play for Italy is my objective. Roberto Mancini (Italy head coach) hasn’t called me up yet, but I hope he will in future.”

Following the arrival of Diogo Dalot this past summer, coupled with the competition offered by the likes of Antonio Valencia, Ashley Young and Luke Shaw, it doesn’t appear as though Darmian’s situation at Man Utd is going to improve any time soon.

It will certainly be a frustration for him given how well established he was for club and country prior to joining United, as he put a failure to make a breakthrough at AC Milan firmly behind him.

Time will tell if he ultimately chooses to return home next year if an offer from a Serie A side is forthcoming, but for the sake of his own career and with Mourinho seemingly having plenty of other options at his disposal, perhaps an exit is the most sensible outcome for all concerned.

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