Amad Diallo has to put pressure on him to ‘survive’ the Premier League, claiming that the Italian goalkeeper who tested him as a child … but Manchester United’s new boys’ old coach is winger £ 37m ‘special’ talent despite ‘not the strongest’
- Amad Diallo made just five top shots for Atalanta, scoring the first time
- But it was enough to convince Manchester United to sign him for £ 37million
- Giovanni Galli says he needs to put on ‘a few kilograms of weight’
- Former youth coach Denis Cerlini says he’s not physically ‘not the strongest’
Denis Cerlini, a former Amad Diallo’s youth coach, says Manchester United’s new signing is a special talent, but former Italy goalkeeper Giovanni Galli has warned he needs to grow strong to survive in the Premier League.
Diallo made just five major appearances for Atalanta, but it was enough for United to shower £ 37million, including bonuses, on the 18-year-old winger.
And Cerlini, who coached Diallo at amateur Boca Barco ‘s side, is confident he has the talent to succeed in the Premier League.
Amad Diallo won his first time, and became the first player born in 2002 to score in Serie A.
‘From the first moment, it was clear the baby was special,’ Cerlini told BBC Sport.
‘He was very bold and quick, he had good ingenuity and a strong bullet, and he executed everything at a fast pace.
Amad was very popular in the dressing room. He made many friends, learned Italian and seemed to be a very determined man who knew exactly what he wanted. ‘
Cerlini’s only concern is the Ivorian corporal.
‘Physically, Amad was not Boca Barco’s strongest, and his mental abilities are not good,’ said Cerlini.
Giovanni Galli (center) saw Amad Diallo as a 12-year-old while working with Lucchese
It is a concern shared by Galli, who was heavily involved in Diallo’s move to Atalanta because he saw him while playing for Boca Barco.
‘He needs to add a few kilograms of weight to survive in the Premier League,’ Galli said.
If Diallo is strengthening, then Galli said he has everything else to star for United.
‘A friend asked me to look at two boys – Amad and his older brother Hamed Junior Traore, who will be playing for Sassuolo today,’ said Galli, who played for Italy in the 1986 World Cup.
‘I quickly saw that they were just too good for us. Amad played with bigger boys and drove them crazy with the dribble.
‘So I made a few calls to Serie A clubs to tell them about the boys. At Atalanta, I spoke to sports director Gabriele Zamagna, and they signed Amad.
