Sunderland Could Repeat Amad Diallo Masterclass

Sunderland’s philosophy of signing talented youngsters for the future has certainly paid off in recent seasons, with Kristjaan Speakman’s tenure at the club proving to be an extremely successful one.

The Black Cats have found success with young stars such as Jack Clarke, Trai Hume and Dennis Cirkin in the Championship, with Tony Mowbray’s side narrowly missing out on a playoff final at Wembley after losing out to Luton Town.

However, one of the most successful signings of the season was undoubtedly Amad Diallo, with the young Ivorian enjoying a superb campaign after joining on loan from Manchester United, finishing as the top scorer on 14 league goals in Mowbray’s squad.

It now seems as if the north-east side are looking to repeat that success this summer, with reports suggesting that they could target Manchester United midfielder, Ethan Galbraith.

Would Galbraith be a good signing for Sunderland?

According to The Northern Echo, both Sunderland and Middlesbrough are lining up offers for the 22-year-old, whose contract at Old Trafford will come to an end next month.

Galbraith spent the season on loan with Salford City in League Two, contributing four goals and three assists in 32 league appearances for the Ammies as they also lost out in the playoffs.

He does have experience at a higher level, having played 33 times in League One for Doncaster Rovers last season, while he also has two caps for Northern Ireland under his belt, with U21 boss Ian Barraclough dubbing him a “little Iniesta or Xavi” back in 2020.

During his time at Doncaster, the young midfielder earned the praise of teammate John Bostock, who tipped him for a big future in the game.

He said: “He came in yesterday and was really quiet, then goes and puts in such a good performance on his professional debut.

“It’s nice to have him here because he’s got a massive future in the game, I enjoyed playing alongside him and hopefully we can develop that relationship.”

Although Galbraith doesn’t perhaps have the reputation of someone like Diallo, as he joined from Linfield as a teenager compared to United paying £37m to Atalanta for the Ivorian, their footballing educations at Old Trafford will have been similar.

While the 22-year-old isn’t a winger, and it would be a surprise to see him have as big an impact as Diallo given he registered 17 goal involvements this season, Sunderland have already shown the benefits of recruiting players from the Red Devils.

Galbraith could be one for the future, but he certainly fits their philosophy of signing younger players and on a free transfer, he could be a no-brainer for Speakman this summer.