The president of Amad’s first club has revealed the reason a scout who was watching the Ivorian left after just the five minutes of a game he was observing.
Amad, 22, has gone from strength to strength since Ruben Amorim took charge of Manchester United in November.
His most recent showing against Manchester City last Sunday impressed onlookers as he was involved in both United goals - winning a late penalty and scoring an inventive second goal to hand the Red Devils a 2-1 win at the Etihad Stadium.
The young Ivorian is brimming with confidence at the moment, but Boca Barco’s president – Amad’s first club in Italy – recognised his talent from an early age.
“The memories are all pleasant,” Enzo Guerri told Tutto Mercato in 2021 [translated from Italian to English].
Advert
“[Amad] Diallo started playing in our youth sector, from 2014 to 2015, from 12 to 13 years old, and already at that time, you could see that he had something more than the others."
He then went on to reveal what occurred that made a scout who was spectating the winger turn around and walk away from a game that Amad was involved in.
"I remember a very funny sketch with a Roma scout,” he added.
“He came to see him in a match and, after a chest-oriented stop by Diallo in the 5th minute, he turned his back to the pitch and walked away.
Advert
“I immediately asked him for an explanation, and he replied: 'Only potential champions do things like that at 12 years old. Seeing him in this match is of little use to me, take him to Rome to train with ours'.
“At Atalanta, on the other hand, they made him play from day one with the boys a year older than him. In short, Amad has always been predestined [for greatness].”
The winger joined Bergamo-based Atalanta in 2015 and quickly rose up through the ranks, making his first-team debut in October 2019.
Advert
In January 2021, he joined Manchester United.
After loans at Rangers and Sunderland, he has finally been able to put together a consistent run of good form to the delight of Amorim and the United’s fans.
However, the player’s current United contract is set to expire in June 2025 – although the club have an “option” to extend for a further 12 months, according to The Telegraph.
Extending the Ivorian’s deal is thought to be a “priority” for the hierarchy at Old Trafford, otherwise, from January 1, he would be allowed to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs.
Topics: Manchester United, Amad Diallo, Ruben Amorim, Manchester City, Atalanta, Transfers, Premier League
Luke Davies