West Ham enter race to sign Man Utd youngster as Ten Hag ponders what to do with wonderkid

Ben Stewart
Manchester United's Amad Diallo (left) and Teden Mengi warm up for the UEFA Champions League, Group F match at Old Trafford
Manchester United's Amad Diallo and Teden Mengi warm up

West Ham have been the latest club to declare an interest in Manchester United youngster Amad Diallo following an impressive loan spell.

The 20-year-old winger was instrumental in Sunderland making the playoffs. Scoring 14 goals and providing three assists, he looked a cut above the Championship.

Sunderland themselves are hopeful of getting Diallo back on loan next season, although their chances have now taken a hit.

West Ham are the latest club to enter the race to sign the winger on loan. With David Moyes keen to bolster his attacking options, Diallo would tick a lot of boxes.

According to the Northern Echo, West Ham are understood to be ‘lining up’ a move to sign Diallo on loan for next season.

Erik ten Hag will likely assess Diallo during pre-season before making a final judgment on whether or not to send him out on loan again.

Man Utd have high hopes around the winger, but perhaps next season will be too soon for him to be a regular in the first-team set up.

Ten Hag himself has spoken on Diallo and the development path that he has in mind for the 20-year-old.

“We loan such players to let them develop and make progress, to bring them back. That is the aim of a loan,” Ten Hag told BBC Sport in May.

“We are really strong on them in the matter of the way we mentor them. We follow them and we have communication through all the season.

“Especially Darren Fletcher – he invests a lot in such processes and the aim is to bring them back as a better player and with better experience.”

Diallo predominately plays on the right-hand side, which has been somewhat of a problem position for Man Utd over the years.

Jadon Sancho has struggled to make much of an impact in that role and there are still some question marks over Antony.

Rio Ferdinand is hopeful that Diallo can make an impact in the future as the winger has “unfinished business” at Old Trafford.

“He is an interesting one. He has got talent there is no doubting that. You can see the talent he has got but you can see he wasn’t robust enough at the time.

“But that loan at Sunderland, he left that place a hero, an absolute god. He plays on the right hand side too, a problem position for us,” Ferdinand told Vibe with Five.

“I know Antony has come in and done well but he is someone you can look at and say can he add something a bit different. I would like to see him given another opportunity.

“There is a bit of unfinished business and I don’t know if he’s not good enough, not right for Man United or he is [good enough] because I haven’t seen enough.”

Ten Hag will carefully assess Diallo over these next few months before making a final judgment on whether to send him out on loan again.

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