The uncomfortable truth about the most scouted Sunderland transfer target

Sunderland AFC and Amad Diallo are a pairing made in heaven.

It’s evident that our love for Amad is unique, and it’s a bond that will last a lifetime. I have no doubt that he will be remembered as one of, if not THE best, loan signings in the history of our football club.

He left us on good terms over the summer, and ever since his last game in a Sunderland shirt in the playoff semi-final against Luton, there has been speculation that he would return at some stage in a red and white shirt. Many others believe that a return might occur as early as January.
However, I can’t help but feel that we’re ignoring the painful truth here.

The Amad of now is extremely different from the Amad we signed last season. He was nowhere near the first-team picture at Manchester United, lacking confidence after a disastrous loan spell at Glasgow Rangers, and desperately seeking a legitimate opportunity to play elsewhere and demonstrate his abilities.

He absolutely accomplished this with us, and he left Wearside a considerably superior player than the one who arrived. One that I am confident will go on to play regular first-team football for Manchester United.

Anyone who has watched Manchester United this season can undoubtedly agree that having Amad by their side would be extremely beneficial. They’ve barely gotten by this season with Rashford, Garnacho, and Antony, while Jadon Sancho has been sent out after falling out of favor with Erik Ten Hag. Rashford is a proven top-tier player who has been horribly out of form for large sections of the season, and the less said about Antony the better – despite his high price tag and the fact that he is a favourite of their boss, no one can convince me that he is superior to Amad. He is painfully one-footed and does not create or score goals. Amad is superior to him in terms of ability.

Timing has been unkind to Amad, since if he hadn’t suffered a significant injury in preseason, I’m confident he’d have played a role — either from the bench or starting — in almost every game this season for the Red Devils. I believe he would have appeared on a similar premise as Garnacho.

As most of us know, Amad was a big money purchase for €40 million, and Manchester United will want to see a return on their investment at some point.

Is sending him back on loan to the Championship really the greatest option, especially because they need talented wide players in their squad?

I’m confident that if he was made available for loan, there would be plenty of offers from other Premier League clubs eager to take him — and from their perspective, Amad would be better off testing himself by playing regularly in the top flight than doing what he’s already done and returning to the Championship in an environment where he’s already proven himself.

It does not make me happy to bring this up, but I believe it is necessary.

The leaked private communications between a Sunderland supporter and Amad on Tuesday night were extremely clear: he claimed that if he was going on loan to a Championship club, he would only go to Sunderland.

In the words of Lloyd Christmas… “So, you’re telling me there’s a chance?”

Of course there is a chance. Even if the odds are tiny, there is a chance.

But if it does happen, I’m sure it will be frantic and emotional at the last minute.

I just wouldn’t put your hat on it. Even if the club is anxious to re-sign him, their desire pales in comparison to Manchester United’s. If they believe he can play for the rest of the season — and if Simon Jones of the Daily Mail wrote on Tuesday, that is sadly their plan, as confirmed by Fabrizio Romano — there isn’t much Sunderland can do about it.

Wey… At least he isn’t headed to Middlesbrough, right?