Pranav Nair
Roma scout was left spellbound watching Manchester United new boy Amad Diallo
Manchester United could have a gem on their hands in new signing Amad Diallo. The Ivorian wonderkid officially became a United player yesterday after signing an initial five-year deal.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer described the youngster as one of the best young players in world football. It would appear that the Norwegian is right in his assessment.
Speaking to Italian publication Tuttomercatoweb (h/t Daily Star), Boca Barco president Enzo Guerri has revealed that a number of high-profile teams were aware of Diallo’s abilities. The 18-year-old played for them from 2013-2015.
Aged just 12 back then, a Roma scout was so impressed that he had his mind made up after watching Diallo play for just five minutes.
“I remember a very funny story with a Roma scout. He came to see him in a match and, after a control aimed at the chest by Diallo in the 5th minute, he turned his back to the field and went away.”
Great Expectations
Mystified by the reaction, Guerri questioned the scout about his action. What he got was a glowing report on a player who could be destined for greatness.
“I immediately asked him for an explanation and he answered me: ‘Things like that, at the age of 12, only potential champions do. Seeing him in this competition is of little use, take him to Roma to train with our team .”
Diallo appears to have developed well since then. Atalanta skipper Papu Gomez was so impressed that he compared the youngster to Argentine legend Lionel Messi. (The Express)
Diallo made his first-team bow for Atalanta in the Serie A last season. He showed off a glimpse of his ability as he scored on the night. In doing so, he became the first player born in 2002 to score in the Italian top-flight.
More Manchester United News
- Aston Villa will not entertain bids in January for Manchester United target Jack Grealish
- Donny van de Beek told to hold crunch talks with Manchester United
- Manchester United star Marcos Rojo agrees a two year deal with Argentine giants Boca Juniors
The youngster is still a raw talent. At United, he will have the opportunity to fine-tune his talents before being incorporated into the first-team. It is not every day that a top club pays €41m for a teenager.
Judging from the reviews he has garnered, the club might just have hit gold with the Ivoirian.
