Dan Carter

Thu 3 August 2023 21:40, UK

Manchester United winger and Leeds United target Amad Diallo will remain at Old Trafford this summer having picked up an injury in pre-season, according to the Athletic.

Mark Critchley has reported (3 August) that a knee injury the Ivorian winger sustained while in America with the Red Devils will mean that he will likely miss the start of the Premier League and EFL campaign.

Diallo had attracted plenty of interest having impressed on loan with Sunderland in the Championship last season, with Leeds holding an interest [Daily Mirror, 24 July], along with several Serie A clubs.

Discussing the 21-year-old’s injury, Critchley wrote: “Amad is set to stay at Manchester United this summer after suffering a knee injury that has ruled out a potential loan move. The 21-year-old winger was left out of Sunday’s 3-2 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in Las Vegas due to the injury which required further assessment.

“Tests have since revealed that Amad will be out for the first part of the season, and he is now expected to remain at Old Trafford beyond the end of the transfer window.”

It feels as though the links between Amad and Leeds United this summer have quietened down as the transfer window has rumbled on, whether that is because of the injury he sustained or the Whites moving on to other targets we’ll probably never know.

There is still a very possible chance that Wilfried Gnonto could depart Elland Road this summer with several Premier League and European clubs circling the Italian winger and it does feel as though Diallo may have been the ideal replacement for Leeds this summer.

The Ivorian almost powered Sunderland to the Premier League last time out, scoring 13 goals and assisting a further three times as he won over those who had doubts about just how good he could be after a difficult spell with Rangers the year before.

While his goalscoring numbers demonstrate some of his immense talent, what is probably most impressive are the underlying statistics behind his season at the Stadium of Light where he was one of the best players on the ball in England’s second tier.

His FBREf scouting report shows a sea of green when analysing his actions in possession, compared to other attacking midfielders and wingers in the Championship he falls in the top 10% for passes attempted, pass completion % and progressive passes per 90 minutes.

He doesn’t give opposition defenders a chance to rest either, averaging 2.16 successful take-ons per game and 3.72 progressive carries while also touching the ball more than four times a match in the opposition penalty area.

When compared to other wingers he is also over-performing his expected goals, demonstrating that he truly is a quality finisher, but can also provide for his teammates, averaging over 4 shot creating actions per 90, more than 91% of wingers.

Leeds are well covered

As of the time of writing, Leeds are equipped to head into the new season without his services as Daniel Farke has a multitude of options in the wide areas, with Dan James, Wilfried Gnonto, Luis Sinisterra and countless other players capable of filling the spaces that the Manchester United man could well have filled.

Diallo would have been an excellent addition to these ranks and alongside the other forwards at Elland Road may have even been able to improve his attacking output in the coming season. But the Whites shouldn’t be losing any sleep over missing out on his signature.

What will be interesting to see is where Amad falls in the pecking order at Old Trafford once fit and whether he is available for loan again in January and if Leeds may reignite their interest to help them in the second half of the campaign.

Should Gnonto leave though, this could be a missed opportunity.

In other Leeds United news, half of Europe is chasing the signature of a young Leeds United forward