Sunderland didn’t know it at the time, but they signed one of their best ever loanees from Manchester United last summer.
Amad Diallo arrived after an underwhelming loan spell at Rangers, while his £35 million price tag was laughable.
The Black Cats certainly didn’t doubt his ability though and it was considered a very good signing for a Championship club, though the early stages of his time on Wearside certainly weren’t expected to end up with him becoming a fan favourite.
Amad failed to score in his first eight games for Sunderland, but kicked of an excellent campaign with his first goal against Burnley in October 2022.
The youngster went onto bag 14 goals in 39 games for the Black Cats, before fans were left heartbroken when he had to make the inevitable return to Old Trafford.
It was thought that Amad could return on loan again though, with Manchester United undecided on whether he would be included in their first team plans.
However, Amad suffered an injury in pre-season and is still sidelined, quickly ending Sunderland’s summer interest.
But the closer we get to the January transfer window, the more the transfer talk ramps up again. Reports have claimed that Sunderland could go back in for the 21-year-old, but the Red Devils’ current form could make Erik ten Hag want to keep hold of him.
Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Alejandro Garnacho and Antony only have one goal in the Premier League between them this term, while Jadon Sancho is still banished from the squad.
Sunderland still have a very obvious Amad-shaped hole in their starting line-up, but they may have to consider some alternatives if they fail to bring the midfielder back.
Could Sunderland sign Poku instead of Amad?
And it appears Tony Mowbray‘s side are doing exactly that, with Kwame Poku the latest name to be linked with a move up north.
Kwame Poku joined Peterborough from Colchester United in 2021 and claimed 13 goal contributions in League One last season.
However, the 22-year-old has taken it up a notch this time round and has already bagged six goals and six assists in only 16 games, with Posh sat fifth in the league table.
According to TEAMtalk, Poku has attracted interest from Sunderland, West Brom, Millwall, Ipswich Bristol City and Stoke, with the winger looking likely to play in the Championship next season – whether it be with Posh or not.
Like Amad, Poku – dubbed the ‘assist king’ – can play on either the wing or in an attacking midfield role. The latter is likely to be his position and could really benefit Patrick Roberts out wide, with the attacker really struggling without Amad to play one-two with.
Poku certainly isn’t a ‘flashy’ name and doesn’t come from the academies of the Arsenals and Tottenhams that we are used to, but he is clearly a very talented player and still has plenty of years to develop too.
While it is unclear how much he would cost, he is one name that Sunderland should definitely keep their eye on. The club could struggle to win promotion if they can’t bring in someone to replace Amad.