Reports: Barcelona and Bayern Munich interested in signing Manchester United star Matteo Darmian

What's the story?

The ongoing transfer window is set to culminate in less than a month and is bound to leave clubs squabbling around the players they hope to buy before the start of the season.

Most European clubs will be looking at players to fill certain holes in their respective squads and Manchester United are no different. However, before Jose Mourinho can sign any more players, he will have to trim his squad and get rid of dead wood.

Mourinho is reportedly looking to sell a few redundant players, with Matteo Darmian being one of the names who could be shown the door. According to reports from the Daily Star, Barcelona and Bayern Munich are understood to be eyeing the Italian full-back.

In case you didn't know...

Matteo Darmian arrived at Manchester United in 2015 when he was purchased by former Red Devils manager Louis van Gaal. He was reported to have cost a fee believed to be around £12.7 million, but has struggled to break into the first team ever since, with Antonio Valencia being prioritized over the 27-year old at right back.

Additionally, latest media reports seem to suggest that Manchester United are closing in on Paris Saint-Germain full-back Serge Aurier, which will unquestionably push Darmian lower down the pecking order, prompting the Italian to evaluate his options.

The heart of the matter

The former Torino man played 28 Premier League games in his first season and was considered a regular in the first team.The 2016-17 season, however, witnessed a change in leadership at Old Trafford, with Jose Mourinho replacing Van Gaal as the Manchester United manager.

The Portuguese tactician didn't think on the same lines as Van Gaal and subsequently demoted Darmian to the bench. The Italian only played 18 PL games under Mourinho and is said to be keen on a move away from Old Trafford in search of first team football.

Meanwhile, European giants - Barcelona and Bayern Munich are understood to be heading into the final month of the window fully inclined towards making some smart business moves that will bolster them before the forthcoming season, and are said to be eyeing a raid for Matteo Darmian - who has been a long term target for Italian giants Inter Milan as well.

Jose Mourinho fielded the full-back in their pre-season games and the defender did indeed impress and even managed to assist a goal against Sampdoria in their last friendly. It is still unclear whether Jose will choose to ship him off, with the defender also claiming to be happy to fight for his place at Old Trafford.

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Author's Take

Darmian is a solid option to have in crunch games. The full-back has a steady head and an assuring presence. While he might not be Jose's number one option, the Italian should take it in his stride and strive to break into the first team based on merit.

Leaving the club is undeniably the easiest step for Darmian to take. However, the warrior in him might just decide to stick around and fight for a spot. Moreover, it seems more likely that Mourinho prefers him on the left side of the defence, a position which is up for grabs in the squad.