Summary

It's "very unlikely" that Sunderland target Amad Diallo will still be at Manchester United come the end of the transfer window as there are "a lot of clubs on standby" who want to sign him, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

Is Amad Diallo joining Sunderland this summer?

It was a brilliant first season back in the Championship for Sunderland last year. Granted, they couldn't make it past Luton Town in the play-off semi-final, but considering most fans and pundits didn't even think they'd finish in the top six, it was a miraculous achievement even to get there.

Since getting agonisingly close to making it back to the Premier League, the club have been recruiting to help get them over the line if they get the chance again next year.

So far, they have welcomed four new faces to the club, with one of their signings getting a lot of media attention, Jobe Bellingham. The 17-year-old is the younger brother of new Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham, but the Black Cats only had to pay an estimated £3m to secure his signature from Birmingham City.

However, the one player many fans would likely love to see back at the Stadium of Light is United youngster Diallo, who spent last season on loan with the club, playing a massive part in their charge up the table.

Unfortunately for the Roker Men, the Northern Echo reported last week that their chances of signing the 21-year-old are hanging in the balance as Leicester City have emerged as a potential rival for his signature following their sale of Harvey Barnes.

Worse still is that, alongside the Foxes, West Ham United, Sheffield United, and Everton are all interested in signing the Ivorian, and with their status as Premier League sides, they certainly have an advantage over Sunderland.

What has Dean Jones said about Sunderland and Amad Diallo?

Jones explained that the chance of Diallo remaining at United come the end of the summer is low, but Sunderland will have a lot of other clubs to compete against should they wish to take him back on loan in the Championship.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said: "Diallo would be amazing. I think we've all seen what he's capable of.

"Now, as it stands, it's very unlikely he'll be playing for Man United regularly. So, I wouldn't expect him to be there by the end of the transfer window.

"We'll have to see if this particular move is possible. There are a lot of clubs on standby waiting to put an offer in front of him."

How good was Amad Diallo last season?

With the Black Cats' desire to re-sign the Ivorian winger on loan again this year, it should be no surprise that he was excellent during his last campaign in the Northeast.

According to WhoScored, in his 29 games for Tony Mowbray's side, he scored 14 goals, provided three assists, won four Man-of-the-Match awards and maintained a season rating of 7.06 – the third-best in the squad.

In what shouldn't come as a shock to anyone, his underlying numbers are just as brilliant as his output, suggesting that his outstanding form wasn't fortunate at all, but just a true reflection of his ability.

According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across what they define as the next eight competitions, Diallo sits in the top 2% for pass completion, the top 6% for interceptions, the top 15% for non-penalty goals, the top 18% for attempted passes, the top 21% for touched in the oppositions penalty area, and the top 25% for progressive passes and successful take-ons, all per 90.

His efforts were certainly appreciated by manager Mowbray who, at the back end of 2022, said:

"He's an amazing footballer. Somebody said he cost £37m from Atalanta when he joined Manchester United, so I find it difficult to think how he is at Sunderland, but probably the pressure of playing in front of a big crowd, and he relishes it.

"He can run all day and he has the ball stuck to his foot, he runs past people and he can score goals like that. We're delighted he's here with us."

While it may be a step too far for the Black Cats this summer, if they can convince Diallo to join them for one more season, they could be a Premier League team once again come the start of the 2024/25 season.