It’s been a whirlwind 48 hours for Atalanta winger Amad Diallo following his agreement to join Manchester United.
The 18-year-old was on his way to Italian rivals Parma on deadline day before United swooped in to sign him – pending a medical – on a £37.3m deal.
The midfielder was spotted by United when he was 15 and club scouts have kept a close eye on him ever since.
United failed to sign Jadon Sancho on deadline day and they then felt compelled to sanction alternative deals, with Diallo being one of those.
However, the fact that Sancho didn’t sign shouldn’t overshadow the excitement surrounding Diallo and United fans can expect one of the most promising youngsters in Europe once he arrives in January.
The reaction to Diallo’s signing is testament to the growing excitement around the teenager and Paul Pogba became the latest to welcome the midfielder to Old Trafford.
The first photo on Diallo’s official Instagram page is of the winger with Pogba during his time at Juventus in 2015 and the Ivorian clearly looks up to the Frenchman.
United reposted the photo on their Instagram page on Tuesday and Pogba did his bit to make Diallo feel welcome at the club.
The Frenchman commented: ‘Welcome, kid’ and followed it up with the wink emoji.
Diallo has received messages from across the world since his move to Old Trafford was announced but few will mean as much to the winger as much as Didier Drogba’s.
The former Chelsea forward is the most famous player to emerge from the Ivory Coast and Drogba was quick to congratulate the winger over his move to the Theatre of Dreams.
Drogba commented: ‘Congrats grand’ and tagged Diallo into his message.
Though Diallo still has to complete a medical and obtain a work permit in order to complete his move to Old Trafford, those procedures are considered a formality.
The teenager is expected to compete for a spot in the first team.
