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Manchester United are working on a deal to bring Portugal Under-21 international Diogo Dalot to Old Trafford as part of their close-season defensive rebuild.

The English Premier League club are understood to be ready to pay FC Porto €20million for the teenage full back, who is open to the idea of progressing his career under the tutelage of Jose Mourinho.

United have already proposed personal terms to the 19-year-old, who they envision using as an understudy and deputy to Antonio Valencia at right back. Only Nemanja Matic and Romelu Lukaku played more Premier League minutes as an outfielder than Manchester United's 32-year-old captain last season, and Mourinho wants to use Dalot to rotate at right back, while developing him as a medium-term successor for the position.

Dalot broke into Porto's first team in February, playing six Primeira Liga games as a left back and also covering for injury in that position in his club's goalless Champions League visit to Liverpool. Normally deployed at right back or right midfield for Porto's B team, Dalot has been promoted above his age group at youth international level and at 19 is already a regular for Portugal's Under-21s. In October, he was named Porto's young player of the year.

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Fast over the ground, powerful on the ball, and with a good delivery in attack, Dalot's performances have attracted the attention of several leading Champions League clubs, including Juventus, Napoli and Real Madrid.

With Porto focused on raising cash in this summer's transfer market and the club being well covered at right back, the idea of taking €20m for a player whose current contract expires in 2019 is attractive to the newly-crowned Portuguese champions.

Porto coach Sergio Conceicao has described Dalot as “a player of great quality”, while former team-mate Miguel Layun believes he has the potential to establish himself the best right back in the sport.

(Image: FIFA) (Image: Getty Images Europe)

“For potential, character, personality, and many other things, he can go as far as he wants,” said Mexico international Layun earlier this year. “In my opinion, he can become the best full back of all in a few years. He has everything to achieve that, but he has to maintain the desire, the hunger that got him into the first team of an great club like FC Porto. In a few years' time I would love to see Diogo being part of a FIFA Team of the Year.”

(Image: AFP/Getty Images)

United have also explored the possibility of recruiting Djibril Sidibe from AS Monaco this summer. The 25-year-old France right back is one of three first-team players identified by the Ligue 1 club's management as potential summer sales.

With Monaco securing an initial €50m for the transfer of Fabinho to Liverpool this week, Sidibe's asking price is expected to rise. The Frenchman would also expect more playing time in his debut season than Dalot. According to a Monaco source, United have yet to make a formal offer for Sidibe.