Sunderland may now be clutching at straws in their pursuit of Amad Diallo.
Sunderland have been desperate to bring Amad Diallo back since the summer, with a pre-season injury forcing them to wait until January before reigniting their interest.
While it previously looked like the Ivorian would return to the Championship, it was later reported that Manchester United would prefer to keep hold of him for the rest of the season.
The Red Devils have struggled on the right-side attack this term, with Antony yet to score a goal in the Premier League since April. Meanwhile, the likes of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Jadon Sancho hadn’t enjoyed much success at Old Trafford recently either.
Sunderland’s chances of re-signing Amad seemed to increase once again in recent days, with the youngster left on the bench for Manchester United’s win over Newport County in the FA Cup – with Erik ten Hag instead opting to give Omari Forson a run-out.
Amad was then spotted liking a post on X referring to his return to Wearside, but he quickly unliked it again.
While Amad doesn’t look any closer to leaving United, it is his teammate Facundo Pellistri who is now closing in on the exit door.
According to The Athletic, the Uruguay international has travelled to Spain today to complete a loan move to Granada.
What does this mean for Amad?
Pellistri’s arrival in La Liga surely puts an end to any possibility of Amad Diallo leaving this month.
The Red Devils already made their intentions clear to keep hold of Amad for squad depth, while Pellistri’s departure would leave the 21-year-old as the only back-up option to Antony.
Amad’s game-time is still going to be limited though, with Ten Hag opting to play Alejandro Garnacho on that right-side instead during the 2-2 draw with Tottenham.
It’s very unfortunate for Sunderland and no doubt Amad will be frustrated if he doesn’t get much action either, but perhaps we could see him leave the club in the summer.
The midfielder will be entering the final 12 months of his contract next season and Manchester United will surely want a complete overhaul of their squad – including the potential departure of Ten Hag himself.
Whether Amad returns to the Championship is another question though, especially if he is forced to leave permanently.
Sunderland fans will still have their fingers crossed ahead of deadline day on Thursday, but it really doesn’t look likely at this point – especially with the looming arrival of Romaine Mundle.