Amad Diallo is headed to Manchester United’s exit door after Antonio’s €100m arrival from Ajax, but his future could be outside the Premier League with Aston Villa doubts.
There was great excitement surrounding the young Ivorian player when he replaced Atalanta for United in a €40m deal in January 2021, but his path to first-team football has since been blocked.
United set aside €85 million to bring Jadon Sancho to Old Trafford from Borussia Dortmund that summer and Diallo spent the second half of last season on loan at Rangers, as he struggled to get past Ryan Kent.
#MUFC Loaned Diallo scored the goal with Rangers at the weekend 🔥pic.twitter.com/biwsHomrHU
Football Transfers (Transfersdotcom) May 9, 2022
Villa need a broad man, with Leon Bailey constantly struggling to impress and Steven Gerrard on the cusp of the club’s worst managerial record if they lose to Arsenal and Manchester City in the next two games.
Gerrard previously spotted Diallo at Rangers, but he left for Aston Villa two months before the 20-year-old finally arrived at Ibrox. However, Villa and a number of other Premier League clubs have been excluded from a potential list of suitors.
And the newspaper “Manchester Evening News” wrote that “the Turkish team Pesquitas and Anderlecht of Belgium are credited with the interest in the Cote d’Ivoire pavilion.” While it is understood that a number of championship teams are also keen, notably Blackpool and Sunderland.
“The move to the second division in English football may attract United more than others, as the club is keen that Emad gets used to playing in the conditions that he is expected to face in his first team.”
Top-notch interest is evidenced by his absence, even if the once €40m player is now rated at just €1m by Football Transfers’ sophisticated internal algorithm.
How good is Diallo?
Emad, a left-footed rolling player, moved to Italy when he was 15 years old and shone the ranks of the Atalanta Youth Academy, scoring 37 goals and making 24 others in 93 games, winning consecutive Italian U19 titles. 2019 and 2020.
He has so far struggled to adapt to the physique of professional football, and United hope a loan deal below the divisions will help him get used to the ups and downs of the English game.
