Tony Mowbray was asked whether Amad Diallo could return to Sunderland in the January window.
Speaking during his pre-match press conference, the Black Cats boss didn’t want to give too much away about the club’s transfer plans.
Amad Diallo moved to Wearside from Manchester United last summer, but didn’t kickstart his loan till he scored his first goal in his ninth game for the club.
The Ivorian never looked back, going onto score 14 goals in the Championship and playing a huge role in helping Sunderland reach the play-offs.
Sunderland were then one of a number of teams eager to snap Amad up again in the summer, with reports claiming he would want to return to Wearside if he wasn’t needed at Old Trafford.
However, the 21-year-old was sidelined during pre-season and may not return to full fitness until January. Though this hasn’t stopped the Black Cats from reportedly taking an interest in snapping him up at the next opportunity.
When asked about their interest, Mowbray didn’t give much away.
As per Sunderland Echo, the 60-year-old said: “You are asking the wrong person to be honest.
“I don’t know what the plans are for January at the moment, we haven’t really discussed it yet.
“I would imagine if he’s going to be fit he’ll be going off to the Africa Cup of Nations. I don’t think he’d be available for the whole of January.
“Let’s see what the club are thinking of how we are doing by then.”
Is it worth bringing Amad Diallo back to Sunderland?
The Africa Cup of Nations are set to start halfway through January, though it is unclear whether Amad Diallo would be involved if he is still recovering.
While signing the midfielder wouldn’t guarantee his availability straight away, the current form of our attack makes it still seem like a no-brainer.
Patrick Roberts has really struggled without Amad alongside him and he would undoubtedly add the spark that we have really been missing recently.
Given that we would only sign him on loan anyway, it seems like a risk-free move to me – especially if he is eager to come back. The only issue is whether Manchester United want to keep him, because they are hardly spoilt for choice in attack these days.
Jadon Sancho remains out of the squad completely, while Antony, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Rasmus Hojlund, Alejandro Garnacho and Facundo Pellistri currently have a grand total of four goals between them in the Premier League this season.