Thread:

Amad Diallo Traore. Profile Analysis Report. #MUFC

Manchester United agree a fee 20m + add ons for Amad Diallo, the younger winger from Atalanta U19. Diallo is far from the finished article. He is in a very raw state and will need integration and further development. #MUFC

#MUFC fans will need to give him the time & patience. Knowing them; If he has 2 excellent games, they'll call him the 2nd coming of Messi or the opposite just another Dan James. Anyway, this thread will cover:

•Style of play.
•Strengths & Weaknesses.
•Integration at United.

Side Note: When Scouting a player, the most important attribute to look for is decision-making. The talents and abilities are abundant in many players but not the intelligence. #MUFC

The touch map below for Diallo's last 2 seasons. He likes to hug the touchline but can also receive in the half-space if his RB is over-lapping. He likes to drop back to receive the ball and help the team progress the ball by dribbling or one-twos with the RCM. #MUFC

Style of play:

Example of Diallo dropping to defense to progress the ball off his FB and laying it off to a midfielder. #MUFC

He likes the ball to feet. When he drops to receive the ball, he fully aware of his position & he has the defender isolate. He runs at him with pace & power because he is confident in his ability to beat defenders 1v1 or even 2v1 so he doesn't hesitate. #MUFC

The defenders backs off. Diallo realizes the defenders priority is on the outside so he cuts in on the inside. He exploits the space dropping his shoulder and firing low, and hard shot to the bottom corner. #MUFC

Diallo's dribbling and control in tight angles/situations is his forte. He attempts 9.06 dribbles p90 with a succ. rate of 53.8%. His close control and unpredictability makes defenders foul him 2.75 p90. He makes 3.92 progressive runs after taking on at least one player. #MUFC

Here: Diallo steals a head start on his marker. Runs onto a pass and get caught in 1v3 but with his close control and dribbling skills at speed leaves for dead. He swiftly changes direction vs. 3rd defender to open a space for his arrowed shot into the bottom corner. GOAL. #MUFC

Though dribbling & close control are the standout attributes, his playmaking, vision & intelligence is what makes his ceiling high. He averages 0.33A p90, 3.47 final 1/3 passes p90 & 4.28 passes into the box p90. He manages to keep his awareness & bearings effectively. #MUFC

Example: Surrounded by opposition players, he spins away from pressure and notices his teammates run at he burst into the space. As he reaches the byline he sets his team up with a backheel pass. #MUFC

Diallo's passing in the final 3rd is exquisite as well. He drifts centrally and attempts a difficult lopped pass over the defense [Bruno does this but not enough]. The weight and height of the pass is inch perfect. #MUFC

Attacking on the transition needs split second decisions. Here Diallo chooses the difficult pass over the top rather than the easy pass central as it provides a greater opportunity. He dinks the ball over the defense & far enough from the GK for the late runner to head it. #MUFC

Reading the play:

What makes him a constant threat is his ability to read play early and make darting runs from outside to inside. He averages 3.44shots p90, 5.68 touches in the box p90, 0.34 xA p90 and 0.35 xG p90. Examples below. #MUFC

Here his teammate wins position and he immediately runs into the space off the FB. His teammate finds him with a dinked pass and he finishes on the volley empathically. #MUFC

He does the same here in a different situation. His teammate draws in a defender and his instinct is to attack the space. He is found by a lay off and takes one touch and buries it home. #MUFC

Here Diallo shows his close control again and creates a chances out of nothing. A moment of magic. #MUFC

Defensively:

He is covers his FB well (will help AWB) and contributes defensively to a good degree. He produces 4.46 recoveries p90, 2.15 and interceptions p90. He impressively averages 6.94 duels p90 with 58.6%. Here he drops back helps his FB get out of trouble.

He also defends from the front (presses at the right moments). Here Diallo pounces on a slightly lose touch & by using his explosive pace and his aggressive press, wins the ball back and creates an attacking transition for his team. #MUFC

Weaknesses:

He's 5ft 9in so he attempts only 0.9 aerial duels p90 & his succ. rate 23.3%. He losses possession 11.8x p90. This stat is a little skewed as it counts shots saved & off tar. However, in context, Neymar losses poss. 16.51x, Rashford 10.59x, & Fati 11.15x p90. #MUFC

Since he's small in size, Diallo tries to use his low center of gravity to hold his own against much larger and physical opponents. Here: He holds the player off, creates the space and still maintain his the awareness and vision to square the ball near the byline. #MUFC

Amad Diallo is the perfect profile to pair with Aaron Wan-Bissaka. This is because Diallo is willing to help his FB buildup (which AWB lacks) and he hugs the touchline to maintain the width (AWB lacks that also). In turn, this will ease off the offensive burden from AWB. #MUFC

United's big hole on the right side is a big reason why small teams find it easy to defend against them. However, Diallo's explosiveness in pace, close control & runs from wide will fill that hole. It will stretch teams & create space for midfielders & make United balanced. #MUFC

Amad Diallo Traoré is a potential to definitely be excited about as United fans. He will still need further development and refinement both physically and decision making wise. So Patience!

End. #MUFC