The poor play of such players on the pitch has often drawn attention to Manchester United’s dubious transfer history throughout the last ten years.

Jadon Sancho, Antony, and Harry Maguire are a few celebrities that have failed after signing for large sums of money.

Some athletes, though, have been successful since joining and have even seen their worth increase.

In light of this, let’s examine the player who has been a success since joining Erik ten Hag’s team.

Early Man United career of Diogo Dalot
Portuguese defender Diogo Dalot, who was described as “insanely good” by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, impressed as a flying right-back in just eight appearances for the first team. Dalot joined United in 2018 from Porto.

The young player cost Jose Mourinho £19 million to sign, and in his debut season, he started 12 league games while playing left and right back.

Dalot-Man, United-Palace, Cap-Ten-Hag, Carabo
Dalot was loaned to AC Milan for the next season, where he played 33 games in alternating between the full-back positions.

After his trip to Italy, the former Porto star was a much more regular fixture in United’s starting lineup, appearing in 19 games straight. According to Transfermarkt, by the end of the 2021–2022 season, his projected net value was almost the same as what United paid for him when they signed him.

Diogo Dalot in Ten Hag’s shadow
Since Ten Hag’s arrival, the 24-year-old has had his greatest season wearing the Red Devils insignia. In his 24 starts during the previous campaign, he managed two assists and one goal.

Dalot has been a reliable player for the manager this season, starting 22 league games and emerging as the main right-back since Aaron Wan-Bissaka was out for the majority of the campaign.

Dalot, Garcia-Man, United, Bayern, Ten, Hag
Dalot is now valued at £51 million, according to CIES Football Observatory. This season, his value has improved due to his greater presence in the starting XI, making him one of the squad’s most expensive assets.

The Squad Value of MUFC

Participant

Worth

Garnacho, Hojlund, and Rashford

£86 million

Fernandes

£69 million

Dalot, Onana, and Antony

£51 million

McIntosh

£43 million

Martinez

£34 million

via Football Observatory at CIES

The fact that he can play both left and right back because to his versatility is one of the primary reasons for his high worth. Few full-backs can play with both feet and be press-resistant at the same time, so Ten Hag has a lot of flexibility when it comes to choosing his starting lineup with Dalot in the mix given Luke Shaw’s ongoing medical issues.

Dalot isn’t limited to a single playing style and can easily slide into a variety of roles. He can, for instance, slide inside to overload the midfield and offer possibilities on the overlap—a highly sought-after skill in contemporary game.

Diogo Dalot, United Manchester
It was a brilliant move to see Dalot’s qualities early in his career, and United struck one of their finest bargains ever when they signed him for just £19 million, a sum that has now climbed by 168%.