Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is on record as saying that 19-year-old winger Amad could be a "top player" for Manchester United, though he is currently struggling to have any kind of impact while away on loan.
The former United boss had very high hopes for Ivorian youngster Amad but after being sent out on loan to Scottish giants Rangers he looks further away than ever from first-team football at Old Trafford.
Instructed to go to Glasgow with a view to making a name for himself and coming back a more experienced player, things started brightly enough.
Amad was handed the number nine shirt and even bagged his first goal for the club just four minutes into his debut - but things have decline dramatically ever since. Rangers fans are dreaming of European glory as they gear up for a Europa League semi-final against RB Leipzig, but Amad has barely contributed.
The teenager has not played a single minute in any of the club's six knockout games en route to the final four. The bulk of those fixtures have come in a two-month period that has seen Amad fail to earn even one start.
After weeks of waiting in the wings, Amad was finally handed a start for the recent trip to Motherwell but his bad luck was set to continue as Rangers looked to keep their title hopes alive.
Teammate Connor Goldson was red carded in the 29th minute and Amad was the unfortunate player to be hooked off as manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst tried to sure up the defence.
All things considered, Amad was actually having a decent enough game before he was substituted and was a regular presence on the ball. The change inside 30 minutes has come at a notably bad time for Amad given Ranger's next run of games.
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Van Bronckhorst's side have a huge Old Firm Derby against Celtic wedged between the first and second leg of their European semi-final against Bundesliga side RB Leipzig. It is extremely unlikely he is entrusted with the responsibility of either of those games considering how little he has made an impact in recent months.
Amad was brought to United by Solskjaer, who has made little secret of just how good he thinks the Ivorian could be in the iconic red shirt. Speaking before his dismissal last November, the Norwegian heaped praise on the 19-year-old while also highlighting some aspects he may still need to work on.
"He’s a very good lad, very likeable, he works hard. Of course he needs to adapt to a new country, a new language," Solskjaer claimed. "He doesn’t speak English well enough still to feel confident enough to engage in the conversations – but that’s coming, he’s learning.
"We believe he has the attributes mentally, technically and physically to be a top player for us."
High praise, but Amad's stint in Scotland has done little to suggest Solskjaer's claims will ring true anytime soon.
