Rio Ferdinand believes Amad Diallo can offer a solution in a ‘problem position’ for Manchester United next season, urging Erik ten Hag to give the youngster first-team opportunities. Amad joined United in January 2021 from Atalanta in a deal worth an initial £19m and after immediately hitting the ground running playing for the Under-23s, he was drafted into the first-team and scored his first goal for the club against AC Milan in the Europa League in March. He would make just seven more appearances before joining Rangers midway through the 2021-22 season, but a season-long loan spell at Sunderland saw the Ivorian return to top form, scoring 14 times for the Black Cats and playing an integral role in the club reaching the Championship play-offs where they fell short against Luton earlier this month. Reports suggest the 20-year-old will be given the chance to impress ten Hag during pre-season and force his way into the manager’s plans. Amad has played in a variety of attacking roles for Sunderland this season but has most regularly started on the right of attack, a position Antony has been deployed in back at United since his summer arrival from Ajax.
The Brazilian has had a mixed first season in English football and Ferdinand believes Amad can come in and challenge for that role on the right, believing the Ivorian has ‘unfinished business’ back at Old Trafford. ‘He is an interesting one,’ Ferdinand told Vibe with Five, speaking on Amad. ‘He has got talent there is no doubting that. You can see the talent he has got but you can see he wasn’t robust enough at the time. But that loan at Sunderland, he left that place a hero, an absolute god. He plays on the right hand side too, a problem position for us. I know Antony has come in and done well but he is someone you can look at and say can he add something a bit different. I would like to see him given another opportunity. There is a bit of unfinished business and I don’t know if he’s not good enough, not right for Man United or he is [good enough] because I haven’t seen enough.’