The ex-Manchester United figure has been speaking about Sunderland’s move for Amad Diallo

Former Sunderland loanee Amad Diallo had “quite a lot of options” available to him before signing for the Black Cats, according to an ex-Manchester United transfer chief.

The Ivorian spent the 2022/23 campaign on Wearside, and endeared himself greatly to the home support with a series of exciting and effective attacking displays. The 22-year-old registered 14 goals and four assists across 42 senior appearances at the Stadium of Light, and helped Tony Mowbray’s side to a play-off semi-final before they eventually came unstuck against Luton Town.

But according to Tom Keane - former head of negotiations at Old Trafford and brother of professional footballers Michael and Will - Amad could have signed for a number of clubs before it was decided that he would be sent out to the North East.

What did Tom Keane say about Sunderland signing Amad Diallo from Manchester United?

Speaking on The Breakdown podcast, Keane explained the reason why United ultimately decided that Sunderland would be an ideal destination for their starlet, stating: “I remember we sent Amad Diallo on loan to Sunderland. It was [a good loan]. Amad had quite a lot of options at the time, and one of the things that the staff were keen on was getting him ready for English football, the Premier League. So they were very keen to find an environment where he could do that, and it went well for him, and obviously he's doing great now.

“When I was in the role that I was in, my obligations, my duty was to do the best for the club. And this is where I think I was probably well-suited to the role that I did [because] I'd had brothers in the situation. I kind of knew how it was for some of these guys leaving, essentially - [it was] probably ultimately their dream to play for Man United, and some of them were going permanently, some of them were coming back from loans, so I totally got that.

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“What we always tried to do was strike a balance between the right opportunity for the player, but also making sure the club got a deal that was acceptable to it, and there's different ways of doing that, and especially with PSR constraints, which have really come to the fore in the last few years.”

What has Amad Diallo said about Sunderland previously?

As loved as Amad was on Wearside, it would appear that the feeling was entirely mutual. Speaking to Inside United recently, Amad reflected on his time at the Stadium of Light, saying: “Sunderland was my second time on loan, and I have a lot of beautiful things to say about the club. They supported me and were unbelievable with me and my family, and tried to help me in everything, on and off the pitch. They gave me a lot of love, and I enjoyed every moment of playing for Sunderland – I was so happy to be part of it.”

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