Ten Hag’s ‘plans’ for Man Utd starlet leaves £73m man under threat of ‘ruthless’ axe in summer

Lewis Oldham
Man Utd star Diallo

Erik ten Hag is reportedly willing to use Man Utd youngster Amad Diallo next season following his superb performances for Championship side Sunderland.

The Red Devils paid an initial fee of around £19m to sign Diallo from Serie A side Atalanta in 2021.

The 20-year-old has played just nine times for Man Utd but he has made a name for himself in the Championship this season. He has been one of the division’s standout players as he has been involved in 14 goals in 33 games for Sunderland.

Speaking last year, Ten Hag explained why he was against recalling Diallo from Sunderland during the January transfer window.

“We consider everything but I have a little bit of reservation about [recalling Amad] because I don’t want to stop the process,” Ten Hag admitted on New Year’s Eve. “He has made really good progress there so I’m happy with that.

“But young players need experiences and when we decide for him to come back, he has to be a player who can compete for the starting XI or minimum to come on for a lot of games and make an impact.”

Manchester Evening News are now reporting that Ten Hag has ‘plans’ for Diallo. The Dutchman is ‘open to including him in the Manchester United squad next season’.

Ten Hag and his staff are ‘pleased’ with Diallo’s progress and it is suggested that ‘United regard the Championship as an essential environment for young players with the technical ability to return to their first-team squad’. The report adds.

‘United have provisionally planned to loan or sell fellow wingers Anthony Elanga and secure a Premier League loan for Facundo Pellistri next season, while the club are yet to decide whether to reintegrate Mason Greenwood back into their environment.

‘Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho are viewed by Ten Hag as his prime options on the left wing amid his impatience with Jadon Sancho, which leaves a potential opening for a right winger to compete with Antony.’

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Sancho – who joined United for £73m in 2021 – spent a couple of months away from the first-term earlier this season as he suffered a drop off in “fitness and mood”.

Ten Hag is understood to be demanding a ‘ruthless clear-out’ this summer and if this report from Manchester Evening News is to be believed, Sancho may be one player on his way out.

Should the from of Sancho and Co. leave Diallo down the pecking owner, Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray thinks he will “go for big money to a top Spanish team”.

“My gut feeling with Amad is that if he doesn’t sign with Man Utd then he goes for big, big money to a top Spanish team – but let’s hope he’s banging in goals for us next year. If we did sneak [promotion], then there’s obviously a much better chance.”

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