With the signing of Matheus Cunha and the potential addition of Bryan Mbeumo, Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has sent a firm indication of what his first-choice front line will look like next season.
One obvious question that stems from this is what will happen to Amad, whose usual role in 2024/25 was as the right-sided number 10?
Along with Bruno Fernandes, the Ivorian was the stand-out star of last season at Old Trafford and it seems unlikely that Amorim has any intention of dropping him.
Many therefore assume that Amad will be repurposed as a right wing back, a role he performed on occasions in 2024/25 to good effect.
But is that the right position for the 22 year old and is he defensively strong enough to hold the role down to good effect against stronger teams?
Hosted by Gameshub, The Peoples Person asked someone who knows the role better than anyone; Paul Parker, who made 146 appearances for the Red Devils on the right side of Sir Alex Ferguson’s defence.
Parker’s view of Amad
“I think he’s one of those players that you don’t have to ask him to defend,” Parker said.
“In the moment he was trying to get in the team under the previous manager, every time he came off that bench and [Ten Hag] put him in anywhere, he put a shift in.
“And he wanted to prove a point while he had every opportunity to be sulking because he wasn’t getting a run.”
Unlike other young wingers at United, perhaps?
Parker went on to say that Amad could be a more potent weapon as a wing back bringing the ball from deep.
“Every time he’s played, he’s been always maybe one of the better players.
“So, his consistency levels are very high …and sometimes he looks better when he’s attacking from a deeper area.
“Straight away, if you’re up against someone like him, he forces people back. So he might be double teamed.
“He’s already done that role. He’s already doing it. He goes up and back. No one asks him. He just does it. And that’s something that’s just built in his nature, just to want to be able to go and do it without people having to scream at him to go and do it.”
Amad as a defender
“Is he always going to be the best one, one-on-one?,” Parker asked himself.
“You have to say maybe not because he’s so attack-minded. [But] defending in today’s game isn’t like when I was playing, when it was big tackles everywhere and if you didn’t tackle, then your own teammates would want to grab you around the throat.
“Now it’s getting your position right to affect passes going in between you, going around, anything like that, just to change the pass to force teams wide rather than cutting through the middle.
“It’s about having that positional sense.”
High praise indeed from the former England international. With Arsenal up first in the new Premier League season, it will be a huge compliment to Amad if Amorim trusts him in the role from day one.
Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social
Red Billy
Red Billy is the managing editor of The Peoples Person, author of three books and totally obsessed with football’s transfer market. Billy still insists Matteo Darmian and Alex Telles could have made it at United given half a chance.
