It was five years ago this week when Amad Diallo left the steps of the British embassy in Rome and sent Manchester United official John Murtough a photo of him smiling. The Ivorian footballer had got his papers, which meant he could move to England and join the Premier League club.
Quarantine rules due to the coronavirus pandemic severely restricted movement in Europe, but Amad was finally allowed to join United. The fee was €20 million, with plenty of performance-related add-ons built into the deal should he be successful at Old Trafford. The figure was widely reported as £38 million. It wasn’t.
“Straightaway you could see the high level of technical ability,” one of United's coaches, Darren Fletcher, told me. “Amad’s first touch is immaculate, there’s balance.
"There was a lack of game understanding, as is normal in young players, so we knew it was a pathway for him, a journey.
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