Manchester United hit a new low last weekend as they were defeated 3-0 by Manchester City at Old Trafford, a result which truly destroyed the recent momentum they had been building over the previous few weeks.
Erik ten Hag has now won just five Premier League games this season and United are currently sitting in eighth place in the league table, miles away from where they really should be.
If last season offered the supporters hope that the club was finally getting back on its feet and ready to challenge for sustained success, then the opening few months of the current campaign has been a culture shock.
Injuries have not helped the Dutchman’s cause, yet this can't be used as an excuse. His dealings in the transfer market however were perhaps far below initial expectations, and it is clear United are struggling in several areas.
The Red Devils’ transfer business in general over the previous decade has been nothing short of disastrous as massive amounts of money has been spent on the likes of Paul Pogba, Jadon Sancho, and Antony among others, with little to no success.
One player who has failed to meet expectations at first team level since joining under Ole Gunnar Solsjkaer is Amad Diallo.
Amad Diallo's worth when he signed for Man Utd
The Norwegian was looking to build for the future during the 2021 January transfer window, and he completed the signing of Diallo from Atalanta for a transfer fee which could eventually reach €41m (£36m). At the time, it represented a major gamble, regardless of how talented he was.
Indeed, Diallo had played just five senior matches for Atalanta before joining United, yet Solskjaer was clearly delighted to have him on board, saying: “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.
“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.”
High praise indeed for the winger and given United’s penchant for believing and nurturing youth talent, it looked as though he could be a wise investment for the future.
Amad Diallo's career in numbers
The youngster made seven first-team appearances during his first few months, yet he featured just once during the first half of the 2021/22 campaign and was subsequently loaned to Glasgow Rangers in January 2022.
The then 19-year-old was used sparingly by Giovanni van Bronckhorst, yet he scored three times and won a Scottish Cup winners medal, starting the final against Hearts.
The “unbelievable” gem – as lauded by former United teammate Dan James – then went and enjoyed his most consistent run of form after joining Sunderland for the 2022/23 campaign
Not only did he play in 43 matches for the Black Cats, but he was also an integral part of the side which reached the Championship playoffs, scoring 14 goals and registering four assists during his spell in the North East.
This would have given him plenty of confidence that he could perhaps challenge for a first-team spot under Ten Hag, yet he suffered a knee injury in pre-season and has subsequently missed every single match so far this term.
Amad Diallo's current transfer value
Despite a decent spell in Glasgow followed up by shining for Sunderland last term, Diallo has seen his market value decline rapidly since joining the Old Trafford side in January 2021.
According to Football Transfers, the right-winger is now currently valued at just €8.7m (£7.5m), a figure that represents an incredible drop from the £36m that United shelled out on him in the first place.
This hasn’t been his lowest market value, however. In May 2022, Diallo had seen his value drop to just €1,3m (£1.1m) and while his spell in the Championship has boosted this, it is still much lower than expected for a player who cost so much and arrived with great promise.
It is of course more damming evidence of how poorly United have operated in the transfer market since the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 and moves like this have set the club back majorly.
2022/23
43
14
2021/22
16
5
2020/21
13
5
2019/20
3
1
Stats via Transfermarkt
Taking a gamble on a young talent is part and parcel of the game yet spending nearly £40m on a player who had made just five senior appearances is baffling.
Diallo has yet to have the chance to properly shine at the Red Devils and once he recovers from his recent injury, Ten Hag may turn to him for some much-needed inspiration, especially with his growing attacking problems.
Why Amad Diallo deserves a chance at Man Utd
The 21-year-old can operate on either wing along with dropping into an attacking midfield role if required, yet it is his talents out wide which could offer the Dutchman something going forward.
With Jadon Sancho out of the picture for the foreseeable future, Antony failing to score or assist across nine matches so far this season and Marcus Rashford also misfiring and failing to live up to last season's performances, Diallo could see an opportunity.
The Old Trafford side may have overpaid for the winger two years ago, yet by sticking by him and nurturing his immense talent, Ten Hag may just find the solutions to his current problems sitting right in front of him.
The youngster might not be far away from getting back to playing as he was spotted stepping up his recovery by running on grass in training and the Dutchman will be keeping an eye on his current progress.
He has proven before that once he embarks on a solid run of games, he can be a dangerous threat in the final third and if he can return to the form which saw him star for Sunderland last term, the former Ajax boss has a wonderful talent ready to make his mark at United.
