Sunderland have made an excellent start to the 2023/24 campaign and remain in contention to secure a play-off place for the second season in succession.
The Black Cats are fourth after 11 matches, in spite of their 4-0 loss to Middlesbrough last time out, and nine points off Ipswich Town, who are second as it stands.
Tony Mowbray’s side lost to Luton Town in the play-off semi-finals last season and will now be hoping to go one better to secure promotion to the Premier League next year.
Sporting director Kristjaan Speakman dipped into the market to bolster the manager’s squad throughout the summer transfer window in an attempt to bolster the club’s chances of doing so.
Jenson Seelt, Jobe Bellingham, Nectarios Triantis, Eliezer Mayenda, Luis Semedo, Bradley Dack, Timothee Pembele, Adil Aouchiche, Mason Burstow, Nazariy Rusyn, and Nathan Bishop were all brought in either on permanent or loan deals.
Their fourth-placed position, as it stands, suggests that the club’s business has had the desired effect so far but they are reportedly looking at another deal ahead of the January transfer window.
What’s the latest on Amad Diallo to Sunderland?
TEAMtalk recently revealed that the Black Cats are plotting a swoop to bring the Manchester United youngster, who would come in as a dream partner for Jack Clarke, back to the Stadium of Light at the start of next year.
The report claimed that a knee injury sustained during pre-season ruled out a summer exit from Old Trafford for the former Atalanta prodigy.
However, the talented gem is now ready to secure a move away from the Premier League side and Sunderland are hoping to land a loan deal for his services for the second half of the 2023/24 campaign.
It is also stated that the Red Devils are prepared to sanction a temporary transfer for the ex-Rangers loanee, which suggests that he is not in Erik ten Hag’s immediate first-team plans at this moment in time.
TEAMtalk’s report also added that there is confidence that Speakman and Mowbray will be able to bring him back for a second spell on Wearside, after his impressive performances for the club last term.
However, it remains to be seen how many other teams would be interested in signing Diallo and what level of football he could play instead of dropping back down to the Championship, which means that it is far from guaranteed that the young ace will be back in the red and white.
How many goals did Diallo score for Sunderland?
The 21-year-old whiz racked up 14 goals in all competitions for the Black Cats during his loan spell in the 2022/23 campaign under Mowbray’s management.
It was the most goals he has ever scored in a single season in his first-team career to date as Sunderland were able to get the best out of the United loanee.
He arrived at the Stadium of Light off the back of an underwhelming spell with Rangers in Scotland. Diallo produced three goals and zero assists in 13 appearances for the Light Blues.
The Black Cats took a gamble on the 5 foot 8 youngster in spite of his lack of form for the Scottish giants and it was a move that certainly paid off for the English outfit.
Diallo went on to enjoy a phenomenal campaign for the club last term and was nominated for the Championship’s Young Player of the Year award at the end of the season, which was ultimately won by Bristol City’s Alex Scott.
The Ivory Coast international, whose talent was lauded as “exceptional” by journalist Josh Bunting, contributed with 14 goals and three assists in 29 league starts for Sunderland, which made him the side’s top scorer for the 2022/23 campaign – with four more than any of his teammates.
He ranked within the top five performers for the Black Cats for shots taken (1.9), chances created (one), and dribbles completed (1.9) per match last season, which illustrates how important he was in all aspects of the attacking set-up.
How many goals has Jack Clarke scored this season?
Speakman could secure a dream partner for Sunderland’s current top-scorer Clarke, who has plundered seven league goals, by striking a deal for Diallo in January.
The 22-year-old whiz is the joint-top scorer in the Championship so far this season and has caught the eye with 2.1 key passes and three ‘big chances’ created in 11 appearances.
His exceptional form this term has come after a return of nine goals and 12 assists – five more than any of his teammates – across 46 starts throughout the 2022/23 campaign.
These statistics show that the former Tottenham Hotspur ace has the quality to provide goals and assists on a regular basis at this level, which makes him a significant threat for teams to deal with.
The English dynamo knows how to create opportunities for his teammates week-in-week-out at this level and the Manchester United starlet has the finishing quality to make the most of them.
Should Sunderland sign Diallo?
Therefore, the Black Cats must sign Diallo in January as he could strike up a fearsome partnership with Clarke at the top end of the pitch and cause constant problems for opposition defences.
He played the majority of his matches as a right winger for the club last term and, as aforementioned, was Sunderland’s top-scorer with 14 strikes.
Whereas, Mowbray’s current right winger, Patrick Roberts, has failed to contribute with a single goal or assist in nine Championship games so far this season.
Clarke has created 23 opportunities and three ‘big chances’ for his teammates and Roberts has not been able to make the most of the talented whiz’s creativity on the flank.
The former Manchester City attacker has already missed three ‘big chances’ this season and has not offered any tangible threat at the top end of the pitch for the Black Cats.
This is why Sunderland must sign Diallo as the £29k-per-week magician has already proven himself to be capable of scoring goals at an impressive rate for the club at this level.
He could, therefore, slot straight back into the side under the same manager with a number of the same teammates, including Clarke, and re-form his lethal pairing with the former Spurs youngster on the flanks for the second half of the campaign.
