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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Samuel Luckhurst

Manchester United plans for Amad next season

Erik ten Hag is open to including Amad in the Manchester United squad next season as he approaches the end of his loan with Sunderland.

The 20-year-old winger scored his 12th Championship goal of the season in the 2-1 win against Birmingham on Saturday as Sunderland push for the play-offs.

Ten Hag and United staff are pleased with the Ivory Coast international's development, having suggested he required a "run of 10 starts" to showcase his qualities.

Also read: Ten Hag likens Antony to Robben

United regard the Championship as an essential environment for young players with the technical ability to return to their first-team squad.

Amad is likely to be named in United's pre-season tour squad of the United States. United are planning to play two friendlies in Europe before they fly to the Atlantic Coast on July 19.

United have provisionally planned to loan or sell fellow wingers Anthony Elanga and secure a Premier League loan for Facundo Pellistri next season, while the club are yet to decide whether to reintegrate Mason Greenwood back into their environment.

Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho are viewed by Ten Hag as his prime options on the left wing amid his impatience with Jadon Sancho, which leaves a potential opening for a right winger to compete with Antony.

United had the option to recall Amad in the January transfer window while Sancho worked on his fitness over a two-and-a-half-month period but Ten Hag did not want to hamper his progress at Sunderland.

"We consider everything but I have a little bit of reservation about [recalling Amad] because I don’t want to stop the process," Ten Hag said on New Year's Eve. "He has made really good progress there so I’m happy with that.

"But young players need experiences and when we decide for him to come back, he has to be a player who can compete for the starting XI or minimum to come on for a lot of games and make an impact."

After an unfulfilling loan spell with Rangers last year, Amad did not start any of United's six pre-season games. He played as a centre forward in the three matches he appeared in, scoring in the 1-1 draw with Rayo Vallecano at Old Trafford.

Ten Hag felt the Cote d'Ivoire international was not ready to figure regularly in the first team. "In that moment I didn’t see him in the starting XI or a player who had already had an impact. But I see and value and his potential and capabilities.

"What I saw is that he needs experience in men’s football, senior football. I think there are many aspects of football to get strong physically and mentally, and also skills-wise, to improve and develop that so he can have value for us."

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