Amad Diallo is likely to be included in Manchester United’s pre-season plans with Erik ten Hag open to including the youngster in his senior squad next season.
Diallo, who joined United in a deal worth an initial £19million from Atalanta in 2021, joined Sunderland on loan last summer where he has enjoyed an excellent loan campaign.
The 20-year-old scored his 12th goal of the season on Saturday against Birmingham, beating fellow United youngster Hannibal Mejbri with a sublime piece of skill before firing into the bottom corner to seal a 2-1 win over Birmingham City.
United staff are said to be very pleased with the Ivorian’s development on Wearside with the Manchester Evening News reporting he will at the very least be rewarded with the chance to impress in pre-season.
Amad will likely be named in the United squad jetting out for the United States in July with fixtures against Wrexham and Borussia Dortmund already confirmed.
Antony has been ten Hag’s preferred choice on the right this season, a position Diallo would hope to compete for.
Marcus Rashford has been in lethal form on the left with Alejandro Garnacho also offering an effective option off the bench. Jadon Sancho has been deployed in both roles but has failed to hold down either of them with his struggles for consistency said to be leaving his manager impatient.
Facundo Pellistri and Anthony Elanga are also wide options in the squad but both are expected to leave either on loan or permanently this summer.
Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray has suggested Diallo should not be satisfied with a bit-part role at Old Trafford, insisting ‘a top Spanish side’ could move for him this summer if the Black Cats cannot tempt him back for another loan spell.
‘I have a good feeling for Amad that if he’s not back at United he will go for big, big money to a top Spanish team,’ said the Sunderland boss.
‘He loves football and wants to play so what do you do if you are at Manchester United?
‘Are you happy just to be a Manchester United player and play six sub appearances and two starts over a season of 60 games for them? Or do you want to go out and play?
‘So are they going to sell him? If they do they will want to recoup their money which was reputedly 40 euros or whatever it was.
‘The reality is he won’t be coming here, in my mind, unless they think he is going to be one hell of a player and needs to play, or he enjoys Sunderland and should keep going to play for them.
‘That would be the ideal scenario for us. Pretty unlikely I would suggest, but you never know because if they see him as genuinely someone who can play in their first team down the line they could keep him on board.’
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