Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand reveals that some inside the club initially doubted Amad Diallo's ability to succeed in the Premier League, fearing he was too lightweight.
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand says ‘people inside Manchester United ’ were initially questioning the signing of Amad Diallo . The Premier League club agreed a deal to sign Ivory Coast winger Diallo from Serie A side Atalanta towards the end of 2021. United spent an initial £19m to secure his signature – the overall cost of his deal could rise to £37m – and saw off competition from a number of clubs to bring him to Old Trafford on a four-year deal.
After arriving in the Premier League at the age of 19, Diallo struggled to make an instant impact at Manchester United and was sent on loan to Scottish giants Rangers in January 2022 and then Championship side Sunderland the following season. A year spent at the Stadium of Light appeared to work wonders for Diallo, who began to impress for the Red Devils last season and has emerged as key member of the squad this term. It was Diallo, of course, who inspired Manchester United’s dramatic late comeback in Sunday’s derby against Manchester City, winning a penalty and then scoring an injury-time winner to stun Pep Guardiola’s champions. Ferdinand has been hugely impressed by Diallo’s development and says he is now the ‘first name’ on the teamsheet for new United boss Ruben Amorim. Amad Diallo was United’s hero in the Manchester derby (Picture: Getty) However, the Manchester United legend has revealed ‘people inside’ Old Trafford were not immediately won over by Diallo and feared he was too ‘lightweight’ for the Premier League. ‘More than the goal, I just love the character of this kid,’ Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel. ‘He’s a young kid who was brought into the club for a lot of money, there was a lot of interest in him. ‘Immediately it felt like, “not for us, not good enough”. People inside and outside the club were thinking, “too small, too lightweight, not dynamic or powerful enough for this league
Amad Diallo Manchester United Rio Ferdinand Premier League Manchester Derby
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