'We'll be on it' - Club boss vows to pull off spectacular Man Utd transfer

Tom Weber

• Updated: 26 Jan 2024 13:44 GMT
• 3 min read

Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman has outlined his intentions of re-signing Amad Diallo despite the chances of a move materialising looking slim.

The Manchester United youngster has only featured once for the first team so far this season due to an unfortunate long-term injury suffered in pre-season, undoing much of the promise he showed last term.

The 21-year-old spent the 2022/23 season on loan at Championship side Sunderland and helped them to get into the playoffs courtesy of his 13 goals in the regular season. Diallo was supposed to build on his impressive campaign this time around, but things haven't panned out that way.

The injury was a major setback for a player who appeared to be on the verge of becoming a regular first-teamer at Man Utd and he certainly could have been useful in the first half of the campaign given Antony's offensive impotence and Jadon Sancho's falling out with Erik ten Hag.

At this point, however, the Ivorian needs to get back to playing regularly and it is not clear if Ten Hag can provide enough minutes at Old Trafford. Interest in his services is, therefore, once again high just as it had been in the summer.

Diallo back to Sunderland?

Among the clubs keen on the winger are Sunderland, as confirmed by sporting director Kristjaan Speakman. “The situation with Amad is really clear,” Speakman told the Northern Echo.

“We’ve got a really positive relationship with the boy and his people. We’ve got a really positive relationship with Manchester United. I think everyone was really delighted on all sides with what happened last season."

“Do we think he’s a player that could come and improve our team? Yes. Have we enquired about him? Yes. Have we kept in contact? Of course. If we hadn’t kept in contact about him, my head might be on a stake at the beach!”

“That’s where it’s at. If that picture changes in any shape or form, then we’ll be on it and we’ll understand where it sits. That doesn’t mean that, even if he became available, we would get him. As I’ve said on numerous occasions, I think he’s a tier-one player."

"So he’s probably going to be playing in one of the top leagues somewhere. He’s a tier-one player. I think we’d be lucky if we got him on loan again because of the level he can play at. I know he enjoyed [his time at Sunderland], and that’s great."