Manchester United announced the signing of Atalanta forward Amad Diallo on transfer deadline day last summer, however, the deal was subject to Diallo obtaining a work permit.
Fabrizio Romano reports that the 18-year-old has secured a passport and will travel to Manchester to complete his move in January.
Amad Diallo to Complete Manchester United Move in January
Diallo Still Lacking in First-Team Football
When Manchester United signed the Ivorian-born attacker, he was already lacking in senior football. A player for the future no doubt, and his talent has been obvious to those at Atalanta, as is evidently the case to those at Old Trafford too.
Despite having appeared for just a matter of minutes in Serie A, Diallo has managed to impress and find the scoresheet already.
However, since his impending departure was announced, little progress has been made as to his prospects within the Italian giants’ squad. Though this is not necessarily wholly down to his ability or age. Being a right-sided forward, Amad Diallo does not really fit into Gian Piero Gasperini‘s system. Atalanta often use wing-backs, with three central defenders.
Diallo has even featured a little more centrally than usual when coming off the bench v Midtjylland in the Champions League.
Uncertain When Diallo Will Feature for Manchester United
It’s hard to envisage Diallo arriving at Old Trafford and instantly being brought into the first-team setup. United had signed Facundo Pellistri on the same day they announced an agreement with Atalanta for Diallo. Pellistri is still yet to feature for the first-team, though has appeared on the bench.
Instead, Pellistri has been implemented within the U23 side. The Uruguayan has already scored against senior opposition in England though – doing so v Accrington Stanley in the EFL Trophy.
Manchester United may adopt a similarly patient approach with Diallo, especially considering he has even less senior experience than Pellistri arrived with.
In quotes cited by Manchester Evening News, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer did not elect to give too much away: “With Amad (Diallo), hopefully, we can get him in and we’ll see how the squad looks and how he looks and how he settles in as soon as possible. They’re both (Diallo & Pellistri) talented players that we believe will have a long career here. It’s important we find the right time.”
Fans Excited by Potential of Diallo
Undoubtedly, Manchester United fans will be relieved at the news of Diallo’s January arrival. He has been a topic of great enthusiasm during some difficult months – that saw them eliminated from the Champions League. Diallo’s promise, as with a lot of young players at Old Trafford, excites the United faithful and they can’t wait to see their man.
Nobody is expecting him to have the impact that Bruno Fernandes had arriving in January last campaign. Perhaps, given their current league position, Manchester United may need to make further winter additions to find someone to have a similarly strong impact and in the best-case scenario, push for the Premier League title.
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