Napoli confirm interest in Manchester United outcast Darmian

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Bengaluru, July 23: Italian full-back Matteo Darmian's exit away from Manchester United appears to be edging closer after Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis revealed he is keen on landing the player.

The 28-year-old right-back fell down the pecking order at Old Trafford last season and has featured in just 17 games under Jose Mourinho in all competitions.

The Italian has just one year left on his deal at the Theatre of Dreams, but is believed to be open to a move away in the hunt for first team football. His place in the squad already looks to be up in the air after the Red Devils signed full-back Diogo Dalot from Porto with Mourinho lauding his abilities.

De Laurentiis revealed to Italian news outlet Radio Kiss Kiss that he is considering a move for the ex-Torino star, along with PSV ace Santiago Arias.

He said: "There are five or six names on the list. We are monitoring Arias like Darmian, who can play on both flanks. Everybody would like to sign Darmian because of his versatility."

Darmian was linked with a move to Stadio San Paolo in January, but a deal to join the Partenopei failed to materialise.

While a move to Juventus has also been mooted, with his agent Tullio Tinti meeting Old Lady sporting director Fabio Paratici to discuss personal terms.

Darmian is currently with the United squad on their US tour, but looks increasingly likely to be shipped off before the season opener against Leicester.

Despite being highly admired in Italy, Darmian could never make it big in the Premier League. A move back to Italy could change his fortunes once again and he certainly does have plenty of options despite not performing up to the mark at club level.

A big plus for the player is his immense versatility of being able to play as a full-back on either flank and as a wing-back. He is still a member of the Italian national team despite not playing much at club level which speaks volumes about how high he is regarded in his native Italy.