Manchester United Player Diallo Reacts To The News Of His Departure From The Club

 

Amad Diallo has hit back at the speculation linking him with a move away from Manchester United, with gossip spreaders told to “stop lying

The Ivory Coast international winger has seen a transfer – potentially on a short-term loan - speculated on with the January window now open for business. The 21-year-old is eager to see regular game time over the remainder of the season after recovering from a serious knee injury.

He has been given minutes by Erik ten Hag – his first for United in over two years – but it remains to be seen how prominently he figures in the Red Devils’ plans for the second half of the 2023-24 campaign. With that in mind, there has been talk of Amad heading out on loan – with a return to Sunderland mooted, while a move to join Tom Brady at Birmingham has also been discussed as former Black Cats boss Tony Mowbray prepares to inherit managerial reins at St. Andrew’s from the ousted Wayne Rooney.

Amad is aware of the rumours that his future is generating, but he is eager to bring them to a close. Responding to a post in which the Birmingham speculation was addressed, the highly-rated forward said: “Stop lying mate!”

United have Amad tied to a contract through to 2025, with those terms including the option for a further 12-month extension. It may be that he is given an opportunity to prove his worth at Old Trafford as fellow forwards Antony and Marcus Rashford have been struggling for form, while Jadon Sancho is edging towards the exits after being frozen out completely.

Personal information:

Amad Diallo (born 11 July 2002) is an Ivorian professional footballer who plays as a winger or midfielder for Premier League club Manchester United and the Ivory Coast national team.

Team information:

Atalanta

2015–2020: Youth

With a number of Serie A clubs being interested in him while at Boca Barco, Diallo moved to Atalanta in 2015.[6] While initially starting with the under-14s during the 2015–16 season, Diallo quickly moved to the under-15 team.[6] He played in the Final Eight, scoring against Roma in the final and helping his side win the league title.[6]

During the 2016–17 season, he played for the under-15 side before moving to the under-17s in 2017–18, where he scored 12 goals in 27 appearances.[6] In 2018–19, Diallo scored 12 goals and made seven assists in 16 under-17 games, and six goals and six assists in 26 games in the Campionato Primavera 1, the under-19 championship.[8] He won the 2018–19 season with Atalanta.[9]

In 2019, Diallo won the Supercoppa Primavera, providing both assists in a 2–1 win over Fiorentina.[10] He scored six goals and made six assists in 25 league games, helping Atalanta win the Campionato Primavera 1 in 2019–20 for a second successive season.[11]

2019–2021: Senior

Diallo made his Serie A debut on 27 October 2019, coming on as a 79th-minute substitute against Udinese, and scored his first goal four minutes later in a 7–1 home win.[12] He became the first player born in 2002 to score in the Italian top flight.[13] His first UEFA Champions League call-up came on 11 December 2019, as an unused substitute in a 3–0 away win against Shakhtar Donetsk.[11]

Diallo's first league game in the 2020–21 season was on 28 November 2020, as a 77th-minute substitute against Hellas Verona; Atalanta lost 2–0 at home.[14] Diallo made his Champions League debut on 1 December, after being subbed on in the 68th minute against Midtjylland in a 1–1 home draw.[15]

Manchester United

2020–21: Debut season

On 5 October 2020, Manchester United agreed to sign Diallo in January 2021, pending the agreement of personal terms, passing a medical and the issue of a work permit.[16][17] The reported fee was of €25 million – €40 million including bonuses.[18] Diallo officially joined on 7 January 2021, on a five-year contract with the option of an extra year.[19]

Diallo scored a brace on his debut for the Under-23s, in a 6–3 win over Liverpool on 30 January.[20] He was first called up to the senior team on 9 February, as an unused substitute in an FA Cup fifth round match against West Ham United,[21] which ended in a 1–0 Manchester United win after extra time.[22] On 18 February, Diallo made his first-team debut for United as a substitute for Mason Greenwood in a 4–0 away win over Real Sociedad in the first leg of the Europa League round of 32 tie.[23] His first goal for United came on 11 March, in a 1–1 home draw against AC Milan in the first leg of the Europa League round of 16 tie.[24]

On 13 March, Diallo was selected by the IFFHS in their 2020 CAF Youth Team of the Year (U20).[25] He made his FA Cup debut on 21 March, coming on as an 84th-minute substitute in a 3–1 away defeat against Leicester City in the quarter-finals.[26] On 11 May, Diallo made his Premier League debut against Leicester City, assisting Mason Greenwood's goal in a 2–1 defeat; the goal was the first time in 15 years a teenager assisted another for a Premier League goal.[27]

Diallo played his first game of the 2021–22 season on 8 December 2021, starting the UEFA Champions League group stage match against Young Boys.[28]

2022–23: Loans to Rangers and Sunderland

Diallo was loaned to Scottish Premiership club Rangers on 27 January 2022, for the remainder of the 2021–22 season.[29] He made his debut on 29 January, scoring the opener of the game as a starter in a 3–3 away draw to Ross County.[30]

On 31 August 2022, Diallo joined Sunderland in the EFL Championship on a season-long loan.[31] He scored his first goal for Sunderland on 22 October, in a 4–2 home defeat to Burnley.[32] With three goals in five games in December, Amad won the EFL Young Player of the Month award.[33] Diallo finished the season with 14 goals and 4 assists across all competitions[34], including a free kick from 25 yards in the play-off semi final against Luton Town.[35]

On 30 December 2023, he played his first game for United in over two years as a substitute in the 2–1 defeat away to Nottingham Forest