Speculation is rife about who will be the man in charge at Sunderland next season but whoever is in the dugout at the Stadium of Light will need to find a way of replacing the influential Amad Diallo.
It was reported by talkSPORT in the aftermath of the 2-0 playoff semi-final defeat against Luton Town that Tony Mowbray was in danger of losing his job at Sunderland, despite leading the Black Cats to an unexpected top-six finish in their first season back in the second tier.
With star striker Ross Stewart sidelined through injury and Ellis Simms recalled by Everton in January, Sunderland were left with few attacking options but achieved more than many expected them to do, largely in part to the extraordinary performances of their Manchester United loanee.
Diallo would make 39 Championship appearances in total for the northeast giants, having contributed an impressive 14 goals and three assists, with a WhoScored average rating of 7.06 for such performances.
This ranked him as the top scorer and third-best performer in Sunderland’s squad across the 2022/23 campaign, so it seems clear that he will be a big miss, with the 20-year-old unlikely to return to the Championship after such an eye-catching campaign.
Fortunately for Mowbray, or whoever is in charge next term, the Black Cats may already have a ready-made replacement for the Ivorian winger in academy talent, Max Thompson.
Who is Sunderland striker Max Thompson?
The young striker joined from Burnley in last summer’s transfer window having made his senior debut in the Premier League for the Clarets under Sean Dyche, but he is yet to make a senior appearance for the Black Cats.
Upon his arrival at the Stadium of Light, Thompson said:
“It feels a long time coming to sign here, as I came close back in January. I would describe myself as a goalscorer and a direct player. I’m eager to learn from all the coaching staff and make serious progress here.”
The 21-year-old enjoyed a superb spell with Burnley’s U21s, where he hit 17 goals in 41 appearances and he has continued that eye-catching form in front of goal with the Black Cats, boasting five goals and one assist in nine Premier League 2 appearances this campaign.
While he remains an unknown quantity in senior football, this impressive goalscoring record certainly suggests that he knows where the back of the net is and could be a threat in the second tier next season.
Thompson has featured predominantly as a striker and right-winger in his career thus far and if he is trusted to make the step-up to the first team, he could be the man to fill Diallo’s boots as Sunderland look to go one step further and return to the top flight, under whoever that may be.
