Amad Diallo could boost Manchester United’s Yan Diomande chase

Manchester United’s transfer shortlist is starting to develop in two clear areas, January opportunities, and summer priorities.

The Africa Cup of Nations has completely wiped out not only United’s attacking options, but their first-choice right flank as well.

Amad Diallo, Ruben Amorim’s first-choice right-wing-back is away with Ivory Coast, one of the first-choice number 10’s, Bryan Mbeumo is with Cameroon, and reliable defender Noussair Mazraoui is with Morocco.

As such, squad depth is limited, without factoring in the injuries to Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo.

So, it’s clear with the targets now being highlighted that United are wanting a stronger squad depth to account for all eventualities.

United are in desperate need of cover right now, but also need those cover option to fit in as long-term solutions too.

One key target for the winter window is Antoine Semenyo, with his early-January £65 million release clause creating urgency and forcing quick decisions.

However, should United not sign Semenyo, Yan Diomande has emerged as a strong back-up option.

RB Leipzig value the 19-year-old at around £87 million, with the Bundesliga club wanting to cash in on the interest from Europe’s elite.

So, we take a look at the ace up United’s sleeve that could be called on to give them the advantage in any transfer race, utilising the Africa Cup of Nations connection.

Yan Diomande and Amad Diallo are together at AFCON

The Ivory Coast squad for AFCON includes both Diomande and United winger Amad Diallo, with head coach Emerse Faé retaining a cluster of younger attackers as part of his tournament group.

That matters, because international camps are one of the few places where players can have honest, unfiltered conversations away from agents, club media duties, and the weekly noise of domestic football.

Diallo knows Old Trafford, he knows Ruben Amorim’s environment day-to-day, and he knows what has changed at Carrington in the last 18 months, the good and the bad.

If United ever wanted an internal “soft pitch” to a young Ivorian winger being tracked across Europe, it is hard to imagine a better method than a teammate he will be living alongside for weeks.

Diallo is becoming an established player in the Ivory Coast squad, having helped to secure their 2026 World Cup qualification with a goal and assist in their 3-0 win over Kenya in October.

As such, he could easily take buddy up with Diomande, who also scored in the Kenya game, as a way of forming a strong link to Old Trafford.

None of this means a transfer suddenly becomes simple. But it is the kind of marginal gain that big clubs quietly rely on.

The Bryan Mbeumo and Carlos Baleba blueprint

This is not a new idea in United circles either.

Earlier in the autumn, reports suggested Bryan Mbeumo had been urging Cameroon teammate Carlos Baleba to consider joining him at Old Trafford.

It’s understood that Mbeumo is seen as a “big brother” to Baleba inside the national camp, helping to influence the midfielder’s career.

Admittedly Baleba is still at Brighton, however he’s still in contention as a top summer target, with the link with Mbeumo ready to be used whenever needed.

Whether that kind of link actually seals transfers is always debatable, but it does highlight a modern truth that players trust players.

A recommendation from someone living the reality carries more weight than any presentation slide.

If that can take place in the Cameroon setup, it can absolutely exist in the Ivory Coast camp too.

Diallo can speak directly about the pressure of playing for United, the scrutiny, and the upside when it clicks.

Why this helps and why it might not

From United’s perspective, the benefits are obvious, Real insight, not scouting clips.

Diallo can tell Diomande what Amorim is like, what is expected, and how United manage wingers.

Diallo was the only natural winger that Amorim didn’t push to sell this summer, converting him to a wing-back, which has been extremely successful.

If United are selling a summer move as the next step, they can point to a winger already thriving in the same national team environment.

It also sets a relationship foundation, where even if no deal happens in 2026, it plants a seed that can matter later.

However, there are just as many reasons to keep expectations in check.

Leipzig’s valuation is designed to discourage approaches, demanding a hefty fee so they either keep their star or get a massive fee to replace him.

Diomande will almost certainly have multiple elite clubs offering Champions League football for next season, and that’s before any impressive performances at AFCON.

There is also the reality of the player himself, as AFCON is a career-defining moment for many, and Diomande’s priority will be performances, not hypothetical summer plans.

The smart play for Manchester United

If United are serious about Yan Diomande, the smartest approach is patience and clarity.

Use AFCON as intelligence gathering and building the relationship between Diallo and Diomande.

Let Diallo do what teammates naturally do, talk football, talk life, talk ambitions, without forcing it into a recruitment script.

Then, if United decide in the spring that Diomande is worth building a window around, they already have something most clubs do not, a trusted voice on the inside of his closest football circle.

Whilst it won’t reduce any transfer fee, a link through Amad Diallo is the kind of advantage that can help United stay in the conversation or influence a push from the player themselves.