- Sunderland dream of Manchester United winger
- Former Sunderland loanee
- Will he play on Saturday?
It has emerged that key figures within Sunderland’s hierarchy reportedly dream of bringing Amad Diallo back to the club, following the winger’s hugely successful loan spell during the 2022/23 campaign.
Arriving at Sunderland during their first Championship season since 2017/18, Amad helped propel an otherwise weaker side towards a sixth-place finish, securing a spot in the play-offs.
Dreams of back-to-back promotions quickly faded, however, as the Black Cats ran into eventual winners Luton Town in the semi-finals, losing 3-2 across two legs.
Amad stood at the heart of Sunderland’s campaign, scoring 14 goals in 37 appearances to finish as the club’s top scorer and the joint-eighth highest scorer in the entire division. Now, he and Manchester United prepare to face Sunderland tomorrow, 9 May, as United look to cement third place in the table.
READ: Latest Manchester United news and updates
FOLLOW: Read Man Utd on Facebook, Instagram and X
Could Sunderland tempt him back?
According to Mark Douglas of The I Paper, Sunderland still view Amad as a dream signing. The Black Cats have reportedly attempted to re-sign the Ivorian on multiple occasions, but every approach has met resistance from United.
Despite that, the interest refuses to fade. Tony Mowbray who managed him at the Stadium of Light gave a glowing verdict of the winger:
“With Amad the ball was just stuck to his left foot, no-one could get the ball off him or get anywhere near him. He’s that kind of player who can beat three men in a phone box, you know? I turned to my assistant Mark Venus and said: ‘This kid is a genius. Why hasn’t he been playing?’”
Mowbray eventually deployed Amad as a false nine, and the winger immediately flourished in the role. Coming off an underwhelming loan spell at Rangers, where he struggled to impose himself, this finally felt like the breakthrough moment United had waited for.
United signed Amad from Atalanta for £37 million, and whilst he had already shown flashes of quality at Old Trafford, Sunderland finally unlocked the consistency behind the talent.
Mowbray later added: “I was constantly saying ‘Give the ball to Amad, give the ball to Amad’ and it grew really. He didn’t want to let the team down, he knew he had a responsibility and he just did amazingly well.”
Amad’s return
Tomorrow, Amad returns to the Stadium of Light, where close to 50,000 Sunderland supporters will likely greet their former loanee with thunderous applause. The match also arrives at a difficult moment for the winger, with confidence around his performances beginning to waver for the first time at Old Trafford.
Despite two impressive seasons at the club, Amad’s impact has drawn criticism after a difficult run of form this campaign.
The Ivory Coast international has scored just twice this season, most recently against Bournemouth on 15 December 2025 and he’s only registered three assists. More concerning than the numbers, however, has been his all-around play.
Against Brentford, Kobbie Mainoo produced a sensational dribble worthy of every end-of-season montage before squaring the ball to Amad with only the goal left to beat. The Ivorian dragged the effort wide, denying Mainoo what would have stood amongst the assists of the season.
Then came Liverpool. Introduced from the bench, one of Amad’s first involvements saw him gift possession straight to Dominik Szoboszlai, handing Liverpool the opening goal of the match.
It has not been a season to remember. Still, a departure from United feels highly unlikely anytime soon. Even through a poor campaign, Amad remains a fan favourite at Old Trafford.
