Will Still’s prospective arrival to Sunderland might be shook up if he signs this incredible talent.
The Sunderland gossip mill is pointing to Will Still as the next Black Cats manager, despite new developments suggesting the Tyne and Wear club may look again at the pool of managers available in Sweden, with Jimmy Thelin also linked from IF Elfsborg.
Thelin, on the other hand, does not appear to be a good fit for the kind of game Sunderland prefers – the 45-year-old is known to prefer a long-ball approach, as football journalist Michael Graham has written – and therefore Still is very much in the driving seat to be appointed shortly.
If the manager of Stade De Reims is chosen to succeed Tony Mowbray, he may liven things up and make this Manchester United reserve player his first major acquisition.
Amad Diallo returning to the Black Cats under Still’s management would instantly win fans over to the eccentric Belgian manager’s methods, with recent reports indicating that the Championship club is interested in making this reunion happen.
TEAMtalk revealed yesterday that Sunderland were interested in signing Diallo on loan in January, the lively Red Devils attacker loved by the Stadium of Light masses during his first dazzling loan term with the club.
The Championship promotion hopefuls hoped to prolong Diallo’s loan in the summer, but the deal never happened, with Diallo insisting that he wanted to battle for his future at Old Trafford and make an impression on Erik ten Hag rather than being shipped out again.
However, with first-team minutes at the Theatre of Dreams still limited for the Ivorian forward, Diallo – who has been plagued by injury recently – could enjoy returning to the Black Cats to showcase his stuff in a prospective January deal.
Current Sunderland first-teamer Patrick Roberts will grow increasingly concerned about this probable trade being a reality, with Still potentially displacing Roberts in the lineup if Diallo joins.
How Amad Diallo stacks up against Patrick Roberts
On their day, both attackers are considered to have a skill set that allows them to pull off an astonishing shot from nowhere, with Roberts slamming the ball into the net against Watford last season, which proved key in their playoff push.
Diallo, dubbed “an absolute wizard” by journalist James Copley, can also conjure up sublime moments of magic, as evidenced by his dramatic curled effort against Luton Town in the playoff semi-finals last season, hitting a sublime free-kick into the back of the net to level the tie in the first leg.
Mowbray rated the Ivorian as a “amazing talent” during his initial loan spell, with Man United previously splashing the dough on an enticing Diallo, spending £37.2m to capture his services in 2021.
In terms of Roberts, his influence has waned this season for Sunderland, with the former Celtic man generally being anonymous when his club needs him to stand up and be counted.
The 26-year-old has only one assist this season, far short of the five goals and seven assists he managed in his last season in the second division, which saw Mowbray describe him as “magic” at the time.
Furthermore, Still may prefer the £29k-per-week Diallo to Roberts in terms of the type of player he wants to work with. At Reims, the Belgian manager has a reputation for bringing out the best in hungry and raw young talents, as evidenced by Folarin Balogun’s growth in Ligue 1 under the 31-year-old.
As a result, Diallo, who scored 14 goals and provided four assists in all competitions last season, may consider Sunderland as an even more appealing club to rejoin now that Still is in charge.
