Manchester United are taking the right risk with Amad's future

When Manchester United confirmed the big-money addition of Ivory Coast international Amad in January 2021, many supporters were left turning to Google to find out more about their side's latest capture.

He had racked up less than two hours worth of first-team football in Atalanta colours, not starting a single senior game during that time. It was seen as an incredibly brave decision to invest a potential £37million in an 18-year-old who was raw and unproven.

More than a year-and-a-half later, Amad has made just nine senior appearances for United, scoring one goal and grabbing one assist. He has struggled to have the desired impact that even the most optimistic of supporters harboured when he signed.

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He has so far failed to live up the wonderkid status that many United supporters hoped he would. After finding opportunities increasingly hard to come by, the 20-year-old joined Scottish giants Rangers on loan for the second half of last season in January.

On paper, it seemed like the ideal next step for the Ivorian to make in his development. However, his time in Glasgow failed to live up to expectation, as he made just 13 appearances in all competitions, scoring three goals. He was frequently overlooked by Gers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst, so much so that he did not play a single minute in Rangers' fairytale run to the Europa League final in Seville.

Such was the disappointment of Amad's loan spell north of the border, you could argue that he returned to Old Trafford at the start of this summer even further away from the first-team squad than when he left. Then after the signing of Antony to strengthen United's wide options, he was pushed even