Amad Diallo has started to show just what he is capable of in a Sunderland shirt, but the Manchester United loanee won’t be at the Stadium of Light forever.
Fortunately for manager Tony Mowbray, the Black Cats already have an ideal replacement for the Ivorian in Jack Diamond, who is catching the eye on loan with Lincoln City.
After some impressive performances on loan with Harrogate Town in League Two last season, where the 22-year-old would contribute 13 goals and six assists in 39 appearances, there were some calls for Diamond to be a part of Sunderland’s Championship squad for the current campaign.
However, those at the club felt that another loan would be best for the winger’s development, this time at a higher level with Lincoln in the third tier.
He is once again proving to be a big threat, with five goals and one assist to his name in just 12 appearances, which has helped him to a solid 7.00 average rating from WhoScored.
Can Diamond replace Diallo?
For context, only Ross Stewart and Jack Clarke have more goal contributions and a higher average rating in Sunderland’s squad this season, so there seems no reason why Diamond can’t have an impact with the Black Cats’ first team in the near future.
The young winger is a product of Sunderland’s youth academy and already has 45 senior appearances under his belt, which includes two goals and six assists, which led former manager Lee Johnson to sing his praises in 2020.
He said: “I thought Jack was fantastic tonight in the way he played, and that’s something I really loved to see.
“I enjoyed watching his performance. We wanted plenty of movement and that’s what we got from him.”
In the five games before the World Cup break, Diallo managed three goals and an assist, so he is clearly becoming an important member of Mowbray’s squad.
However, given that Manchester United paid £37.2m to sign the youngster, he seems destined for bigger things, so Mowbray may well consider giving Diamond a chance as his replacement next season.
