Sunderland AFC struck transfer gold with Man United agreement | OneFootball

The loan deal for Amad Diallo was a brilliant signing by Sunderland.

The season of 2021-22 saw Sunderland finally secure a spot back in the Championship, with Alex Neil's side seeing off Wycombe Wanderers 2-0 at Wembley in the League One play-off final.

This saw them heading into the following season with aspirations of survival, as they looked to secure themselves as a solid second-tier side before pushing on.

However, what occurred was far beyond that, as the Black Cats secured a sixth-placed finish just a year after they had finished fifth in the tier below.

This achievement was down to a number of factors, with new boss Tony Mowbray injecting fresh energy into the Stadium of Light.

Perhaps most notably, the loan signing of Amad Diallo from Manchester United proved to be an inspired move.

The then 20-year-old took his time, but once he found his feet, the young winger terrorised Championship defences and formed a formidable partnership with his left-sided counterpart Jack Clarke.

Amad Diallo signs for Sunderland

Signed for a fee of €40 million in 2020, Amad Diallo arrived at Manchester United with a big expectation. However, at his youthful age, the winger struggled to find his feet and the subsequent season he was sent out on a six-month loan at Rangers to gain some experience.

Having returned from Ibrox, that summer saw Erik Ten Haag look to loan him out again and on deadline day of 2022, the Black Cats snapped the Ivorian up on a temporary one-year deal.

Making his debut in a defeat to Middlesbrough, his initial months at the Stadium of Light saw game time-limited, with Mowbray preferring the experienced Patrick Roberts.

However, with results slumping, the head coach afforded Diallo more of an opportunity, and he netted his first goal in a 4-2 defeat to Burnley.

This strike saw him become the favoured option and over the next seven months, he would show his Premier League quality.

Amad Diallo tears up the Championship

Under the guidance of Mowbray, the young winger became a real force and his trademark of cutting inside onto his left foot became a scary sight for second-tier defences.

The first time he pulled it out was against Birmingham City, expertly using Auston Trusty's body as a guide to curl the ball perfectly around him and past John Ruddy into the top corner.

He would follow this up with consecutive strikes against Millwall and West Bromwich Albion, with his penalty against the former displaying his natural self-belief.

Unsurprisingly, Diallo's influence on the team was clear, as from 2023's New Year's Day, they only lost five games.

Continuing to score stunning strikes on his left foot, the young winger would finally help them secure play-off football on the final day of the season. Despite Blackburn Rovers' victory, Diallo's breathtaking opener set Sunderland on their way to a commanding 3-0 win, sealing their spot in the top six.

This set up a play-off tie against Luton Town, where the first leg delivered Diallo's most memorable moment in a Sunderland shirt. Trailing 1-0, the winger received the ball from Alex Pritchard's free-kick and, with his trademark finesse, wrapped his left boot around it to whip an inch-perfect strike past Ethan Horvath, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance. This inspired the comeback and Trai Hume netted the second as his bullet header flew past the Luton goalkeeper early in the second half.

Unfortunately, the reverse fixture a few days later would haunt Sunderland as Luton hit back with goals from Gabriel Osho and Tom Lockyer. This sent the Hatters to Wembley and curtailed Diallo's Sunderland experience as he returned to Old Trafford later that month.

Since departing the North East, Diallo has become a firm fixture for Manchester United and this season has claimed his place with a host of good performances.

This will come as no surprise to Sunderland fans, who during the 2022-23 season saw the young right-winger at his very best.