The lesson Manchester United have learned so far in 2024/25 is that Amad Diallo has finally emerged as a top first team star.
Manchester United hoped that the 2023/24 season could be a breakthrough one for Amad Diallo. A pre-season injury meant this progress did not happen until April.
Thankfully he has picked up where he left off. Amad created six chances during United’s win at Southampton, has two goal contributions in four games, and is set to be rewarded with a new contract.
This is the player Manchester United fans hoped he would become when the club struck a deal to sign him from Atalanta on deadline day in 2020.
What we said about Amad in October 2020
Manchester United’s deal to sign Amad really stood out at the time. This was a case of the club signing a highly talented young player for an eight-figure fee, amid an era where the transfer activity was mostly focused on short-term deals; see Edinson Cavani, Zlatan Ibrahimovic et al.
Amad made his Champions League debut at 18, before his move to United was finalised.
At the time in October 2020, we wrote ‘Amad Diallo may be United’s most exciting signing since Martial‘.
While Anthony Martial’s spell at United from 2020-2023 was a disaster due to injuries and a drop off in form, during 2015 to 2020 there were high hopes.
Martial arrived at United as a ‘Golden Boy winner‘, and signed for a significant fee. Amad’s was not quite as high, but it was not pocket change either.
We wrote: “United are signing a raw gem who has the ability to be one of the world’s best, and in turn become a regular for the club over the next five years.”
Amad is now meeting expectations, with patience key
Amad is now in year four of the five, and after a little bumpy ride due to changes in management, loans, and injuries, his talent has risen back to the top.
The young winger certainly now is a ‘Manchester United regular’, and on track to still be regarded as one of the world’s best talents.
Amad is only 22-years-old, so there is still time for him to check that final box. His rise during 2024 has been everything we wished for, and feared might never happen amid the setbacks he had experienced.
The talent had never been in doubt. Amad’s first academy game saw him score two goals against Liverpool including a ‘panenka’ penalty.
His signing remains a big success for United’s scouting department, which has seen the club fail to pull the trigger on other young talents.
Amad was one United were bold enough to sign – and his journey is still in the ascendance. Hopefully he has a much higher ceiling than Martial, and will become the new benchmark for exciting young signings to live up to.
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