Amad Diallo set for Olympics, but should he be worried by Sancho arrival?

When Amad Diallo’s move to Manchester United was announced in October last year, there was a certain sense of irritation and trepidation because everyone wanted Jadon Sancho instead. 

Despite missing Borussia Dortmund’s deadline earlier in the summer, there was hope that the club would pull things off on deadline day. The signing of the 18-year-old was never going to put a stop to the club’s pursuit of Sancho, a long-term target of the Red Devils...and so it has proved.

Ole Gunner Solskjaer’s team have finally landed their man from Dortmund and there’s an expectation to challenge champions Manchester City and Liverpool — expected to improve after last year’s disaster — in the Premier League. 

Having been signed so late in the window last year, Amad remained in Italy for three months before signing officially in January.

In truth, there was no rush given the player represents a long-term signing expected to develop and hopefully thrive at Old Trafford. 

“As a club, we have followed Amad for a number of years and having watched him myself, I believe he is one of the most exciting young prospects in the game,” the Man United boss welcomed the teenager in October. “Manchester United has such a proud history of developing young players and everything is in place to enable Amad to reach his potential here. 

“It will take time for him to adapt, but his speed, vision and fantastic dribbling ability will stand him in good stead to make the transition. He is a player with all of the raw attributes that are needed to be an important player for Manchester United in the years to come.” 

Diallo certainly looked accomplished after stepping into the side.

"His first season was always going to be one of adaptation," said Goal's Manchester United correspondent Charlotte Duncker. "He played a few times for the U-23s to get used to football in England and the physicality.

"He impressed at that level, as expected, and deserved his first team debut. It's something that didn't seem to faze him and no doubt there will be more opportunity for him next season."

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The young attacker age and his manager’s words point to a player who hasn’t just joined for the present but the future.

Despite his relative youth at 21, Sancho is seen as the stardust player to elevate the quality in the side and solve a long-standing problem on the right flank. 

Admittedly, the pressure of representing arguably the biggest club in the world week in, week out dwarfs the weight of playing for BVB; however, the English attacker’s experience of playing for one of Germany’s top sides domestically and on the continent makes him the right profile of signing. 

Despite Amad’s obvious talent, he has little first-team football experience and shouldn’t be saddled with that burden of helping one of England’s top sides return to dominating the Premier League.

Even though Sancho is only three years older and will equally need time to adapt at his new club, he’s way ahead of the West African’s development curve and is arguably already pushing the world-class ceiling. 

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Next up for Diallo is the Olympics, after he was included in the Ivory Coast's 22-man squad for the tournament.

"United are happy for him to go away to the Olympics," Duncker added. "Even if he gets to the final he should be back in Manchester before the first game of the season on August 14." 

Despite that, he risks losing valuable adaptation time.

While AC Milan’s Franck Kessie and United teammate Eric Bailly won’t be available for pre-season either due to their inclusions, neither are young nor relatively new signings at the Rossoneri or the Red Devils. 

Due to the nature of his signing, the 18-year-old joined up with the Manchester outfit when the season was ongoing and was sensibly eased in. A first-team role in 2021/22 was never going to be assured anyway, still, a pre-season with new teammates will have helped develop relationships on and off the pitch. 

It leaves him playing catch-up again and, despite the difference this time compared to the situation in January, Amad’s Tokyo adventure is not ideal for his first full season at the Theatre of Dreams. 

The apparent ambition of possibly winning the West African nation her first Gold in the men’s football tournament and second in the history of the multi-sport event means the Ivorian should strive for success at the sports festival. 

Haidara Soualiho’s team face Brazil — winners in 2016 — Germany — runners-up five years ago in Rio — and Saudi Arabia in Group D and will need to be at their best to make it out of a tough group. 

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While the teenager’s involvement at the Olympics may not necessarily help his United career in the short term, his addition is not an immediate solution for the Red Devils but a long-term project. 

The addition of Sancho and Amad in the space of a few months improves the depth in a side whose lack of quality options greatly reared its head post-lockdown in 2019/20. Solskjaer’s lack of faith in alternatives after football returned in June 2020 led to his repeated use of similar players as they chased a top four spot.

In the Englishman and talented Ivorian — predominantly right-wingers capable of playing in numerous positions in the attack — the Red Devils seem to possess a supreme talent that should transform their attack and a gifted one who needs time to flourish. 

There will be growing pains with the West African, but rather than be worried by the ex-Dortmund player’s addition, the understudy theoretically gets time to improve outside the limelight as he seeks to prove he can cut it as a United player.