Erik ten Hag has revealed his decision on the future of an expensive Man Utd forward who has a new club waiting in the wings for his signature.

Eyebrows were raised when Manchester United forked out €40m (including future add-ons) to sign Amad Diallo back in 2020.

Amad was aged just 17 at the time and terms were agreed despite the winger having just a handful of senior first-team appearances to his name for Atalanta.

Since moving to Old Trafford, Amad has been afforded just nine first-team appearances under varying managers.

The Ivory Coast international endured a largely unsuccessful six-month loan with Rangers in the second half of last season before being loaned out to Sunderland for the full campaign this year.

Amad’s game has come on leaps and bounds since October, with 13 Championship goals racked up in that time.

He’s played a pivotal role in helping The Black Cats snatch a play-off spot and their manager, Tony Mowbray, previously stressed he’d love to bring Amad back on board next season.

Sunderland’s chances of doing just that would greatly increase if they win promotion to the Premier League through the play-offs. Even if they fall short, another loan spell might be viable given the rate in which Amad has developed while on Wearside.

However, when speaking in a press conference on Friday, United boss Ten Hag suggested Amad will be brought into the fold at Old Trafford next term.

Ten Hag ready to unleash Amad Diallo

When asked if the electric winger has a future with the Red Devils, Ten Hag said (via the Manchester Evening News): “Yes. Of course, we loan such players to make development and make progress to bring them back, that is the aim of the loan.

“So we are really strong with them, we mentor them, we follow them, we have communication over the season, especially (technical director) Darren Fletcher invests a lot in such processes.

“The aim is to bring them back but as a better player with experience.”

Ten Hag’s claim backs up a prior report by the MEN who stated Amad is poised to be unleashed on the Premier League next term.

He’ll reportedly be given a chance to shine in pre-season, meaning the ball is in his court to prove he’s worth sprinkling into the first-team when the real season gets underway.

Adding further fuel to the return fire is reporter Samuel Luckhurst’s claim Man Utd have reserved a suit for Amad to wear at the FA Cup final.

The gesture, per Luckhurst, is the first step towards reintegrating Amad back into the mix over the summer.

As such, and with Ten Hag’s latest comments in mind, Amad looks certain to be at Old Trafford next season and not back up in Sunderland.

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