‘Amazing’ Man Utd attacker’s next club named if Ten Hag is afraid to make huge Bruno Fernandes call
An “amazing” Man Utd attacker has the skillset required to operate centrally and his current manager has backed him to cut into Bruno Fernandes’ minutes next year.
Despite making a new centre-forward the top priority this summer, Erik ten Hag already has an embarassment of riches in the final third.
Indeed, Man Utd can call upon Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Wout Weghorst (loan), Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho, Anthony Elanga, Antony and Facundo Pellistri. The Red Devils also have Amad Diallo out on loan at Sunderland.
Amad, 20, raised eyebrows back in 2020 when joining from Atalanta for £37.2m (including future add-ons).
He’s featured just nine times for United since then, with the bulk of the subsequent three years spent out on loan.
However, Amad is finding his feet with Championship side Sunderland this term, with nine goals and two assists notched since mid-October.
Fabrizio Romano recently revealed Man Utd will make a decision on what the future holds for Amad in “April or May”.
United are fully aware Amad needs regular game-time to ensure his development isn’t stunted. Whether he’ll get that if retained by Ten Hag in the first-team next season is open to debate.
But according to Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray, Amad’s versatility and technical ability in tight spaces make him just as viable of an option in central areas as he is out wide.
Mowbray compared Amad to current Man Utd livewire Bruno Fernandes. But if Ten Hag is unwilling to give Amad minutes – potentially at the Portuguese’s expense – Mowbray and Sunderland will be more than willing to bring Amad back to the Stadium of Light next year.
“Just give him the ball and he very rarely loses it”
“[Amad] can play wide, he can play inside, he can play deep,” Mowbray told MUTV (via Man Utd’s official website). “I think he can play centre-midfield for us in the Championship, you know.
“Just give him the ball and he very rarely loses it. Yet we generally put [Patrick] Roberts really wide and play Amad just inside him.
“We’ve had huge success down the right-hand side of the pitch with those two linking and playing with each other, people running off the back of the two of them and sliding people in. It’s very profitable for us.
“He is versatile. I see United games, I watch a lot of football, and Bruno [Fernandes] plays a bit of everywhere, off the right sometimes, inside as a 10 or as a running 8, he can play deep and link the midfield up. Amad is a similar type of footballer.
“I hope Amad will bring personality to the team when he gets back to Old Trafford and he will find his niche in that group.
“If not, Sunderland are always welcome to have him back because he’s been amazing for us!”
