Sunderland loanee Amad Diallo has left journalist Craig Hope seriously impressed following his display on Sunday in the victory over Middlesbrough.
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Tony Mowbray’s side earned themselves three huge points on the weekend in their bid to land a spot in the play-off spots of the Championship table.
The Black Cats were facing a local derby against one of the league’s in-form sides as Michael Carrick’s Boro arrived at the Stadium of Light on the back of a four-consecutive league wins.
However, Mowbray’s men cruised to three points with the on-loan Manchester United star, Diallo, sealing the victory with the second goal of the afternoon.
And having reported from the stands, Hope took to his YouTube channel after the match to wax lyrical about the 20-year-old talent:
(1:10) “At the time [last summer], speaking to people around him he wasn’t really seen, I don’t think, as a Manchester United player for the future. Now, I’ve changed my opinion on that based on what I’ve seen in little flashes this season and then today, over 90 minutes.”
“You know flair, adventure, he doesn’t have to think twice about his first touch or his second touch it all seems to come so natural to him and yeah, I was massively impressed.”
One to watch
These comments will come as no surprise to Sunderland fans who have watched Diallo on a regular basis this season with the Ivorian shining since his move to Wearside.
Pressure has been on the shoulders of the youngster since his big-money move to Old Trafford back in 2021 which will not have been helped by his recent move to Rangers last season.
Playing his football up in Scotland, the winger was only able to return Giovanni van Bronckhorst with three goals from his 13 appearances across all competitions (via Transfermarkt).
Is Diallo too good for the Championship?
However, Diallo has been able to return to the form shown over in Italy since landing on Wearside with an impressive return of seven goals and an assist in his 21 games in the second tier.
This has the 20-year-old as Sunderland’s joint second-highest scorer this season alongside the striker Ellis Simms and will surely provide fans with some hope following Simms’ return back to Everton.
Although the youngster’s success at Sunderland is good news for Mowbray’s men in their fight for promotion back to the Premier League.
It will, naturally, not be doing their chances of potentially making his deal permanent beyond the end of this season.
Hopes alluded to not believing Diallo would have a future at Old Trafford and that could certainly still be the case with the likes of Alejandro Garnacho coming through the ranks alongside some big names at Erik ten Hag’s disposal.
But the form he has shown already this season could well have Diallo set to make a return to the Premier League in some capacity if he is to replicate his output in front of goal in the remaining games.
So it does feel as if the Black Cats may need to clinch promotion if they are to hold any hopes of seeing Diallo back on Wearside next season.
