Erik ten Hag has said that Amad Diallo will be considered for first-team opportunities at Manchester United in the future following his successes at Sunderland this season.
The winger, who signed from Atalanta in a £37.5 million deal two years ago, won Sunderland's Young Player of the Year award last month and will be expected to play a key role in their Championship play-off push. The Black Cats are aiming for successive promotions after coming up from League One last season.
The 20-yera-old has scored 13 goals and assisted three more for Tony Mowbray's side this season. He scored a superb goal last weekend as a 3-0 win at Preston confirmed a play-off spot in dramatic style for Sunderland after Milwall squandered a 3-0 lead at home to Blackburn to lose 3-4, allowing the Black Cats to take their place in the top six.
He will now get the chance to showcase his skills in the play-offs with two matches against Luton to navigate before a potential trip to Wembley. There has been increasing interest in the Ivorian's progress, with United boss Ten Hag questioned on whether or not the player was in his plans during his press conference on Friday.
"Yes, of course," Ten Hag replied. "We loan such players to let them develop and make progress. To bring them back... that is the aim of a loan.
"We are really strong on them on the matter of the way we mentor them, and so we follow them and we have communication through all the season, especially (technical director) Darren Fletcher. He invests a lot in such processes and the aim is to bring them back as a better player and with better experience."
Sunderland have one of the youngest squads in the league and will have to overcome one of the Championship's best teams over the 46 game season in Luton, with their first leg played at the Stadium of Light this weekend. Should they succeed, then there will be a trip to face either Coventry or Michael Carrick's Middlesbrough in the play-off final that takes place on May 27th.
It would be a huge opportunity for Diallo, but there could be the chance to participate in an even bigger match under the Wembley arch a week later in United's FA Cup final against Manchester City on June 3rd.
The youngster would be free to return to United following the play-offs and it was confirmed earlier this week by the Manchester Evening News that he has had a suit measured for the occasion. There would be no rules preventing Amad from participating in the matchday squad for the final, with the FA's rules stating that players cannot be 'cup-tied' for the final should they return from a loan.
While he may not play a role on the day, with Ten Hag's promise of a chance to prove himself following his loan, the future is looking bright for Amad as he hopes to break into United's plans for next season and the years to come.
