Middlesbrough have failed in their pursuit of Manchester United winger Amad Diallo, with the Red Devils set to retain the services of the 21-year-old this season.
The Ivory Coast international returned from a serious knee injury last month that had ruled him out for the first half of the campaign. He appeared as a second half substitute in the 2-1 defeat against Nottingham Forest, where he showed glimpses of his talents that won over Sunderland fans last season.
Despite that, he has failed to make a matchday squad since and he missed the FA Cup third round clash with Wigan Athletic at the beginning of the month with illness. This led to speculation that the ex-Atalanta youngster was set for another temporary exit from Old Trafford, with a number of Championship clubs lining up a move.
His time at the Black Cats was a huge success last season. His 13 goals in 37 league appearances won him the club’s Young Player of the Year award and it was stated at the time of his departure that he would only consider dropping back down to the second tier if he had the opportunity to move to Wearside.
We reported in November that Amad was keen to fight for his place at the 20-time English champions, although a loan move to the continent was a probability. However, since then, United have faltered and currently sit in seventh, eight points behind Arsenal in fourth.
Fellow right winger Jadon Sancho has recently re-joined Borussia Dortmund on loan, whilst Facundo Pellistri looks likely to head to Spain on a temporary deal of his own. As a result, Manchester Evening News state that Manchester United will now keep Amad on their books and believe he has an important role to play this season.
It was reported yesterday that Middlesbrough were leading the race to sign the attacker due to manager Michael Carrick’s connections at the Premier League club. Southampton and Leicester City had also been linked, although the player seemed to refute the story earlier this morning by posting an image on his Instagram of himself in a Sunderland shirt.
Writer’s View
With the exit of Sancho and the imminent departure of Pellistri, it was incredibly unlikely that Erik ten Hag would allow a third right winger to leave. The Dutchman has Alejandro Garnacho and Antony at his disposal, whilst Marcus Rashford is also capable of deputising. However, the England international is preferred on the left.
Amad has always stated his dream is to nail down a regular starting berth at Old Trafford and with Manchester United’s patchy form, he may well get his chance.
