Amad Diallo was the star of the show in the Manchester Derby on Sunday evening, and his success could bring great things Sunderland’s way in the near future.
The former Sunderland loanee has been in fine form this season, and has taken his game to the next level over the past month, coinciding with the departure of Erik ten Hag.
Amad Diallo scored the winning goal late on against Manchester City this weekend, once again proving how important he can be in Ruben Amorim’s squad. He now has two goals and six assists in the league alone this season.
The Manchester United youngster’s performance even had Micah Richards name-dropping Sunderland for the role they played in Diallo’s development. Clearly, the impact the Black Cats had on Diallo’s career cannot be understated.
Sunderland have proven they can nurture top young players
Sunderland expert, Michael Graham, had plenty to say about Diallo’s display on Twitter/X, and he insisted the success of the United starlet proves Sunderland should be one of the top destinations Premier League clubs look at to send their own young talents.
He wrote: “The biggest clubs in the country should be looking at Amad, dropping to their knees and begging Sunderland to take their most talented young players on loan.”
On the night, Graham also posted: “Ten Hag thought Antony was better than Amad Diallo. Deserved the sack just for that.”
Of course, Sunderland fans were well aware of how impactful Diallo could be. The youngster enjoyed a really positive spell on Wearside in the 2022/23 campaign, and supporters at the Stadium of Light still pine for their former loan star.
Graham knows exactly how great Diallo was during that loan spell, and added: “I remember when Man United fans didn’t take us seriously when we told them how special Amad Diallo was.”
Clearly, fans at Old Trafford are now left with no doubt as to the quality of the 22-year-old, and it’s clear he can perform at the very top level — and it’s all thanks to Sunderland, naturally.
- READ MORE: The eight-word Amad verdict at Manchester United that Sunderland fans will absolutely love
January transfer window could see more Premier League talent arriving at Sunderland
There are a number of Premier League players right now who have a history with Sunderland, including Diallo and of course, Jack Clarke.
Sunderland now need to use this to their advantage in the upcoming transfer window, and Louie Barry appears to be next in line for a loan spell with the Black Cats.
We know Regis Le Bris is keen to keep developing Sunderland’s youngsters rather than signing new players, but there are plenty of options in the Premier League that can tick both boxes in a way.
Sunderland should be looking at Omari Kellyman, for a start, and Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly would be a great addition to Le Bris’ squad, too.
One thing’s for sure, if Sunderland do find themselves in a tug-of-war tussle when it comes to getting a loan signing over the line, the rise of Amad Diallo could be all the club needs to convince top teams to send the best talent their way.