Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has made his thoughts on Amad clear amid his Sunderland success.
Amad reportedly won’t be returning to Manchester United in the January transfer window, despite his electric form on loan at Sunderland. The 20-year-old winger has taken the Championship by storm this season, prompting suggestions Erik ten Hag could use him to bolster his attacking options.
But Amad is showcasing the potential that United saw in him from just 77 minutes of first-team football at Atalanta during his Stadium of Light stay.
The Ivory Coast international has registered seven goals and one assist in his last 13 games for Sunderland, raising questions over whether he’s ready to return to Old Trafford.
Amad arrived at Sunderland in the summer with his United career hanging by a thread following a disappointing spell at Rangers
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s sacking and the subsequent departures of key figures like Ed Woodward and Matt Judge intensified scepticism about why the club splashed an initial £18million for his signature in January 2021.
However, the Sunderland Echo report that Ten Hag has opted against re-introducing Amad to his attacking ranks for the second half of the 2022/23 campaign.
It is claimed that United had the option to bring the left-footed winger back to the club this month.
But there was a deadline in his Black Cats contract, and that date has now passed, meaning he will remain on Wearside until May.
Ten Hag is eyeing a pre-season return for Amad, where he will hope he can fight his way into his first-team plans for next season.
Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray, who also garnered impressive form out of Harvey Elliott at Blackburn Rovers, has revealed he held talks with United loan manager Les Parry about Amad.
And he described the starlet as an ‘unbelievable’ talent, claiming he’s undroppable in his current form.
He said: “I had a long chat with Les Parry about him this week. I think he’s got the talent to play for Man Utd.
“The question is whether he’s got the personality to play there and break through that ceiling. He had a disappointing loan at Rangers last year, but I couldn’t pick a team without him right now.
ball sticks to his foot, he sees every pass and works really hard. We’ve worked hard on getting him to shoot more regularly, and so I can see his belief and his personality growing.
“The hope is he goes back to Man Utd, does what he does and finds himself around their team. He’ll get opportunities, I bet, in pre-season and then it’s down to him.
“I’ve managed players like Harvey Elliott at Blackburn – he’s a similar talent, plays with his head up.
“The ball is so easy for Amad. He doesn’t have to think because he can just kill it dead, and he sees the pass straight away.
“It’s unbelievable how clever he is with the football. The talent will never be a problem for Amad. I’ll be really interested to see how he goes.”