Manchester United have invited young winger Amad Diallo to next month’s FA Cup final as part of plans to reintegrate him into the first team.
The 20-year-old has spent the 2022/23 season on loan at Sunderland, firing them to a play-off place on the final day of the campaign and scooping the club’s young player of the season award.
Amad has only played nine times for Man Utd since joining from Atalanta in 2020 but has often showcased his talent and flair in these brief cameos. After netting 13 goals in 37 Championship games this season, there is understandable a clamour among Red Devils fans to see him play a more prominent role at Old Trafford.
Those supporters may get their wish, with the Manchester Evening News reporting that Amad has had a club suit fitted ahead of the FA Cup final against Manchester City on June 3.
Though the Ivorian is ineligible to play, he will have reconvened with the Man Utd squad by then, with Sunderland’s season ending on May 27 at the latest.
MEN add that Man Utd want Amad to feel like he’s part of the squad ahead of this summer’s pre-season tour of the United States, where they will take on Wrexham and Borussia Dortmund.
It had been reported earlier this season that Man Utd had considered recalling Amad due to his red-hot form and the Red Devils’ shortage of forwards, though Erik ten Hag played this down.
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“We consider everything but I have a little bit of reservation about [recalling Amad] because I don’t want to stop the process. He has made really good progress there so I’m happy with that,” Ten Hag said in January.
“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.
“I didn’t see him in the starting XI or a player who had already had an impact (in pre-season). 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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On this edition of The Promised Land, part of the 90min podcast network, Scott Saunders and Rob Blanchette discuss Man Utd’s recent slump in form and whether Erik ten Hag has to shoulder some of the responsibility.
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