New signing Amad Diallo is expected to make an immediate impact on the first-team at Manchester United by the president of his former side, Boca Barco. Enzo Guerri also spoke about how Diallo was scouted by various top teams from a young age, describing him as “destined for greatness”.
Amad Diallo Expected to Play in the First-Team at Manchester United
Incredible Talent
Diallo is one of the most exciting talents in world football.
The Ivorian winger has made five first-team appearances for Atalanta and also managed to score his first senior goal there.
In his interview, Guerri spoke about how the new United winger has looked like an incredible talent since his youth, with scouts from many top teams coming to watch him even from the age of 12.
“Diallo started out in our youth team, from 2014 to 2015, when he was 12 to 13 years old, and even then you could tell he had something more than the others,” the Boca Barco president told Tuttomercatoweb.
“Atalanta certainly weren’t the only club to set their sights on him. There was a queue of scouts coming to view him from all over Italy.
“Amad had three trials in Turin with Juve, just as he was called in by Reggiana, Sassuolo, Empoli, Roma, and of course Atalanta.”
He also recounted how scouts could tell just how good Diallo was within minutes of watching him: “I remember a Roma scout came to view him, and after five minutes when Diallo chested down the ball to continue his run, the scout turned around and left. I asked him what was going on and he replied: ‘Only potential champions do that at the age of 12. Seeing him in this game won’t help, he has to train with our kids at Roma.’”
Amad Diallo Expected to Play in the First-Team at Manchester United
The interview continued as Guerri revealed: “From the first day, Atalanta had him training with those a year older than him. Amad was always destined for greatness.”.
He also gave his opinion on how much first-team game-time Diallo will get when he arrives at Old Trafford, saying: “I think Diallo is going to Manchester to play, not to sit on the bench.”
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Showing Faith in Youth
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has shown faith in Manchester United’s young players since signing as permanent manager at the Theatre of Dreams.
Youngsters Mason Greenwood and Brandon Williams both broke out onto the first-team scene last season. The former is now a regular in United’s starting lineup, while the latter has seen more action for the under-23s in 2020/21. He has, however, been linked with loan moves to help gain experience playing men’s football at very respectable sides, and could leave Old Trafford temporarily this January.
Solskjaer may well put Diallo straight into the first-team, but the Red Devils’ coaching staff also have to be cautious not to rush anything.
Facundo Pellistri joined United in the summer transfer window but is yet to appear in the senior side. The Norwegian manager said: “He’s a young boy coming over and it’s all new for him. He’ll need a few games in the Reserves of course to try to find his feet in a new country”.
His best chance was set to come in the Manchester side’s FA Cup third-round fixture against Watford, but a positive coronavirus test means he won’t be available for selection.
United fans will hope that the same fate does not befall Diallo, but it is important to remember that he was a signing made with the future in mind, and was bought primarily for his enormous potential.
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