It has been revealed that Amoralin and Manchester United's defender are relatives, both descending from circus performers! His consistent starting role has sparked controversy.

Manchester United's full-back Diogo Dalot has faced criticism this season, with many believing his performance isn't up to the standard for a starting spot. However, Rúben Amorim has kept him as a regular starter, leading some to jokingly call Dalot Amorim's "illegitimate son." The Portuguese genealogy site "Geneall" now discloses that they apparently share a family connection, both being great-grandchildren of the 19th-century circus performer Carlos Dalot.

The British newspaper The Sun also reported that insiders within Manchester United confirmed the familial link between Amorim and Dalot. According to the report, Carlos Dalot was born in France and toured Europe with his siblings José and Julia before settling in Portugal, where he continued his performance career in Braga.

The 26-year-old Dalot has previously confirmed that his surname "Dalot" indeed originates from France, which explains why its pronunciation is Dalot rather than Dalot with a pronounced "t," as the final "t" in French is silent. Furthermore, Dalot was born in Braga—the same place where Carlos Dalot settled years ago.

Amorim was born in Lisbon, Portugal's capital, and during his career played for Braga, even representing the club in the Champions League against Manchester United. Judging by their names, if Amorim has any blood ties to Carlos Dalot, it would likely be through his maternal line. Thus, Amorim and Dalot may be cousins. Portuguese media state that both are third-generation descendants of Carlos Dalot.

Whether this claim is true or not, it is a fact that Dalot is highly valued under Amorim's management. Data shows that in the 54 matches managed by the 40-year-old Portuguese coach over the past year, Dalot started 39 times. In recent games, Dalot has been Manchester United's first-choice left wing-back.

Moreover, Dalot has been appointed by Amorim as one of six members of Manchester United's leadership group in the dressing room. The Portuguese international is now the club's second longest-serving player, only behind Luke Shaw, who joined in 2014.

Dalot and Amorim share another connection. Dalot joined the traditional Portuguese powerhouse Porto at age 9 and transferred to Manchester United in 2018 for £19 million. He was brought in by José Mourinho, who was Amorim's mentor and had arranged for Amorim to intern at Manchester United's Carrington training ground. At that time, Dalot had not yet joined the Red Devils.

After the 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest last Saturday, Amorim criticized Dalot's performance, saying he often cuts inside onto his right foot on the left flank instead of crossing directly with his left, missing opportunities in space, and thus substituted him with Patrick Dogu. However, it is predicted that Dalot may still start in the upcoming away match against Tottenham this Saturday.

Former Manchester United winger Lee Sharpe also advised Amorim to drop Dalot: "This season, both Dalot and Dogu have underperformed as Manchester United's left-backs. I've always felt Dalot's decision-making is somewhat rash; he frequently gives the ball away easily and often finds himself poorly positioned defensively. Additionally, when opposing wingers cross, he doesn't get close enough to block them. Therefore, there are several technical areas he needs to improve."

However, Sharpe admitted that changing the left-back might not make much difference for Manchester United and that they might need to sign someone new. "Dogu looks promising and could become an excellent player, but his form is inconsistent, and he is currently not reliable enough to be counted on fully."