Erik Ten Hag is set to give former Rangers loanee Amad Diallo the chance to stake a claim for a place in his Manchester United squad next season.
Ex- Celtic boss Tony Mowbray has had the 20-year-old Ivorian on loan at Sunderland but says the Old Trafford side are set to give him a crack next term. The Red Devils are happy with how Diallo, who spent six months on loan at Ibrox last season, has progressed at the Stadium of Light. And while Mowbray hasn’t given up hope of signing him again next season, it’s looking unlikely.
Mowbray said: “Man United are happy, but I think the next step is for them to take him on pre-season to America. That’s what I think is going to happen. Then they’ll see how he gets on. They know what they’ve got, they bought him, but I think when the new manager came in, it was right on the cusp of whether they were going to keep him or not. He liked some of the stuff, but then he maybe wasn’t sure about other things. I’m sure he’s been watching Amad’s clips from games, just as I watch all of our players who are out on loan, and seeing what he can do. But he’ll need to see him on a daily basis and feel what he brings. I’m sure everyone will have an opinion on whether he’s good enough or not good enough for Man United.
“But the reality is that the manager needs to watch him, see and feel him in a game, and see what level of trust he brings. They know how hugely successful the loan has been. United and Ten Hag have to decide.
"It would be great if we could say: Let’s keep that story going well. The kid, he would do it again. He is playing every week, he scores, the fans love him. He has a Man U salary paying for Sunderland. He couldn't come to Sunderland on a Man United salary. Why do these enormous, monstrous clubs have so many players? To blood them to play for Man u or create a value in them so everyone says: Wow, and offers millions.
“You’re either going to play for Manchester United in the Champions League, or be sold for a lot of money. If they sell five of their loan players for ten million they have money to go to a £100m first teamer. Let’s hope the phone rings sometime in July.”
READ NEXT