INEOS could see £87m bid accepted to sign Man Utd a huge upgrade on Amad

When the summer transfer window opens, Manchester United will attack it hard in a bid to sign a midfielder or two.

With Casemiro confirming his departure from Old Trafford, it has only heightened the need for perhaps not just one new midfielder but possibly even two.

The Red Devils have cast their net in the direction of a number of Premier League clubs with Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali a leading target for Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co.

However, other options remain in the shape of Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton.

That being said, the midfield is not the only area of the pitch that United could look at bolstering.

Man United looking to strengthen the attack

Last summer, ManUnited invested heavily in improving the forward line with a much-needed striker in the shape of Benjamin Sesko arriving to replace Rasmus Hojlund, who had been sent out on loan to Napoli.

On the flanks, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, two proven and tested Premier League players arrived. While they have enjoyed slightly different careers in Manchester to date, all three have thrived at various points in the season.

That said, with Mbeumo now without a goal in his last six matches, an upgrade or competition could be sought.

Well, in the shape of RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande, they may well have found their man. According to a report from TEAMtalk, Liverpool are said to be ‘firmly in the race’ to sign the Bundesliga sensation but they are not alone.

Indeed, Manchester United and Arsenal have now joined their Premier League rival in the race to acquire the Ivorian this summer.

While the competition may be vast to sign Diomande, he is not set to make a decision on his future until after the World Cup when interest in the player could be even greater.

The Red Bull hierarchy view the winger as their ‘most exciting’ talent since a certain Erling Haaland and thus, have placed a massive price tag on his shoulders.

The report notes that it is likely to take an offer in the region of £87m to convince Leipzig to sell the wide player this summer.

How Diomande compares to Amad Diallo

Now, we know what you’re probably thinking here. Another young and exciting Bundesliga winger? Surely this isn’t another Jadon Sancho situation all over again.

Man United signed the former Borussia Dortmund winger in 2021 for a massive £73m price tag but he has never really shown any sign of paying back that transfer fee.

During his five years back in English football, the ex-Bundesliga winger has had a few loan spells, back at Dortmund, at Chelsea and with Aston Villa. In the famous red strip, he’s only ever scored 12 goals, supplying six assists too. He’s a shadow of the player who was one of the best in Germany’s top-flight.

The parallels to Diomande are eerily similar. Just 19 years of age, he has been described as a “future best winger in the world” by Football FanCast sources and judging by his attributes, there are reasons to believe that could be the case.

The scorer of 11 goals and a supplier of eight assists in 2025/26, those may not sound like jaw-dropping numbers but the sheer volume of ways in which he can influence a game is really exciting.

Celebrated as an “unstoppable” talent by reporter Bence Bocsak, no player in the entire Bundesliga this season has registered more successful dribbles than Diomande.

In fact, the young forward is streets ahead of anyone else with 4.2 per 90 minutes. To put that number into some greater context, the next best is his teammate at Leipzig in Antonio Nusa who has completed 3.3 per 90 while the best tally at Old Trafford is Amad Diallo with just 1.4.

Speaking of Amad, it’s Diomande’s fellow countryman who could suffer most as a result of his potential arrival.

Indeed, for much of the campaign, he’s been rivalling Mbeumo for minutes on the right flank but he could be surpassed by the Leipzig star. The numbers are overwhelmingly in favour of Diomande.

Not only does Leipzig’s teenage superstar crucially amass more goals and assists per 90 minutes, but he’s far more efficient inside the penalty area.

His shot accuracy is only a tad better but it’s the conversion rate where the full picture is painted. In that regard, Amad is one of the worst wingers around. Diomande, on the other hand, is ruthless. He creates regular chances, he dances a merry jig around defenders and is just generally a huge nuisance for opposition defences.

Looking at the data, he would appear to be tailor-made for the Premier League, tailor-made to make a big impact at Manchester United.

Amad had better watch out if they are able to get their hands on his international teammate this summer.

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