Southampton pushing to beat Leicester and Sunderland to Man Utd transfer agreement | OneFootball

Highlights

Southampton are pushing to sign Manchester United winger Amad Diallo in the January transfer window.

That's according to a report from Football Insider, who say that the 21-year-old could be allowed to leave Old Trafford on loan at the turn of the year.

Diallo already has Championship pedigree

Having previously made nine senior appearances for Manchester United, and spending a spell on loan with Rangers, Diallo spent last season on loan in the Championship with Sunderland.

That campaign saw the winger produce some stellar form, scoring 14 goals and providing four assists in 42 appearances in all competitions, playing a key role in the Black Cats reaching the play-offs.

However, a knee injury suffered in pre-season, means that Diallo has yet to get the chance to build on that record during the current campaign.

As a result, it seems as though the Ivory Cost international may now once again be one the move when the market reopens next month.

Southampton enter Diallo transfer race

According to this latest update from Football Insider, Southampton are working on a potential deal to complete the signing of the 21-year-old next month.

It has previously been reported by the same outlet that the Saints' Championship rivals, Leicester City and Sunderland, are also interested in a potential deal for the winger once the window opens.

Even so, it is apparently thought that Southampton are the one the once currently making the biggest push to sign the 21-year-old.

With Diallo now closing in on a return to action after a long spell on the sidelines with injury, there is a belief a deal could be completed for a temporary move away from Old Trafford, which could help him to rebuild his match fitness.

As things stand, there are still 18 months left on Diallo's contract with Manchester United, who have the option to extend that deal by a further 12 months, securing his future with the club until the end of the 2025/26 season.

Southampton, Leicester and Sunderland all in Championship promotion race

Right now, those three sides who are keen to bring Diallo back to the Championship are all in the race for promotion to the Premier League.

Leicester currently sit top of the Championship table, with Southampton three positions and 13 points behind the Foxes.

Sunderland meanwhile are seventh in the standings, three points adrift of the play-off places as things stand.

Diallo signing would be a major boost for Southampton

It is hard not to feel as though completing the signing of Diallo would be a big coup for Southampton.

Diallo showed last season just how good he is at Championship level, so he would surely help move their promotion push in a positive direction, if he does make the move to St Mary's next month.

Beyond that, with Leicester and Sunderland also linked, the Saints would ensure they are preventing two of their rivals from strengthening their own promotion hopes as well.

So with that in mind, the fact that Southampton