Amorim has a 17-year-old who can end Dalot’s Man Utd career

Following the sacking of Erik Ten Hag from Manchester United in October last year, it was always important that the hierarchy made the right decision regarding their next appointment.

The Red Devils board have turned to Ruben Amorim to fill the void, but some 13 months after his arrival, he is still struggling to provide the goods on a consistent basis.

He currently has a win record of 41% in his 56 appearances at Old Trafford so far, with the 40-year-old recording just 23 wins in all competitions.

His 3-4-2-1 system has yet to see its full flow, with many players still getting used to the demands of the coach’s complex system in the Premier League.

One player in particular has had to adjust his playing style over the last couple of months as a result of the switch, but has struggled in 2025/25 – as evidenced by his stats in recent weeks.

The statistics behind Dalot’s struggles in the 2025/26 season

Diogo Dalot was signed for United in 2018 from boyhood club Porto, with the Portuguese star seen as the long-term solution at right-back at Old Trafford.

The 26-year-old has already made over 200 appearances for the Red Devils since his move, but concerns have been raised about his performance levels in 2025/26.

He has been asked to operate in a more advanced right-back role as a result of Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system – a position in which he has had major difficulties so far.

In his 11 Premier League appearances, he has struggled to gain possession, as evidenced by his modest tally of 2.8 progressive passes completed per 90.

Such a tally places him in the bottom 20% of all full-backs in the division this season, which also demonstrates his lack of influence on the ball this season.

Going forward, he also struggles greatly to impress, as evidenced by his tally of just 1.7 final passes per 90 – which also places him in the bottom 14% of other defenders in the league.

When he gets himself into shooting positions, Dalot has also struggled greatly in the Premier League, as evidenced by his tally of zero shots on target, the worst player in the division.

It is clear that he has struggled greatly to impress since his compatriot’s arrival, with the manager desperately needing to address the situation in such an area.

The star who could end Dalot’s career with Manchester United

In a bid to fix the issues in the wing-back department, Amorim has put his trust in Amad Diallo to try and stabilize the position in recent months.

The Ivorian, primarily a winger, has managed to impress in this role, with the 23-year-old scoring 11 goals and eight assists in all competitions in 2024/25.

This season, the youngster has continued to impress, having already registered a goal and two assists – his only goal being a massive strike in a 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest.

However, the manager may face a problem in the coming months, as the player is set to join the Ivory Coast national team for the Africa Cup of Nations.

Despite the problems, the manager could call on academy star Benedetto Mantato to try to fill the void and solve the long-standing problem in a wide range of areas.

The Englishman joined the academy at the age of nine, and subsequently spent his entire youth years with the Red Devils and is now a star in the youth ranks.

He has only made three appearances for the Under-18s during the early stages of this season, but has managed to impress – as evidenced by his tally of three goals and three assists.

Mantatu, who started out as a winger, also played as a full-back in the academy teams, which later allowed him to make 11 appearances for the Under-21s this season.

As a result of his recent performances, analyst Ben Mattinson has already described him as “explosive” – even touching on his ability to get up and down the field with his tireless nature.

The youngster played a starring role in the Under-18s’ 7-0 win over Liverpool at the weekend, with the player finding the back of the net early to slot the ball past their arch rivals.

At just 17 years of age, expectations must undoubtedly be made by the club and Amorim, but it is clear that he is a player with a lot of talent and potential for the future.

However, if he can continue on his current trajectory, there is no reason why he cannot replace Dalot in the first-team lineup and save the hierarchy millions.

The Portugal international is certainly on borrowed time at Old Trafford, with the full-back needing a miracle to prevent the hierarchy from considering options to replace him.

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