Hamed Junior Traoré, Amad Diallo: opposing fortunes
After an unsatisfactory first season-long loan at Rangers in Scotland, Amad Diallo has fully rebuilt his career at Sunderland.
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Despite an unsatisfactory first season-long loan at Rangers in Scotland, Amad Diallo is fully back on track at Sunderland. Judged not quite ready for the Premier League for now, the Manchester United prodigy has been a key figure in the good season enjoyed by the “Black Cats”, back in the English 2nd tier. With six goals and one assist, the former Atalanta prospect is showing all his talent on the right flank of the English club's attack.
The Sunderland manager is full of praise for the 20-year-old Ivorian: “A very talented lad (...) who has earned the respect of the dressing room through his performances”. Those performances have led journalists to ask Ten Hag about the possibility of recalling the left-footer before the end of his loan, even before the end of the season. But all parties agree he needs to be left to develop in the Championship, especially as the Red Devils have expensive signings Sancho (€85 million) and Antony (€95 million) on the right.
Hamed Junior Traoré's momentum halted
When Amad Diallo joined Manchester United in 2021 for more than €20 million, it was assumed his brother Hamed Junior Traoré would follow shortly afterwards by joining a top club. In fact, Traoré was already making a name for himself in Serie A at the time.
Since making his Italian top-flight debut with Empoli in 2020, and then with Sassuolo, the Ivorian midfielder was a regular in the starting 11. His talent has gradually shone through, with dribbling and ball-carrying qualities similar to Amad's.
Although he was linked with several top Italian and even European clubs, towards the end of last season he suffered a fracture that cooled talk of a possible transfer. That lengthy injury has weighed on the start of Hamed Junior Traoré's season, and he is still struggling to get back to peak form, with only 3 starts so far. But at 22, he has the whole second half of the season to return to the fore and push his price up before his contract expires in June 2024.
Mary SOUMARÉ