Erik ten Hag is ready to welcome back ‘magician’ Amad Diallo to Man United next season

Not only has Amad Diallo’s sparkling end to the season left Sunderland fans dreaming of Wembley and the Premier League, it has also sent a wave of excitement through Manchester United.

“A magician,” declared Tony Mowbray, who was seen smoking an imaginary cigar as he celebrated Diallo’s superb free-kick that led to a comeback win against Luton in the play-off semi-finals at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

Regardless of what happens to Sunderland at Kenilworth Road on Tuesday, United will see the loan as a good thing. “We loan such players to let them develop and make progress, to bring them back,” said Erik ten Hag. “That’s the purpose of a loan.”

Diallo’s talent is not in question, but the move to Wearside would have been in the hope that under pressure he could learn to take responsibility and use his gifts to influence competitive games.

United would know that the youngster on loan from Mowbray would have a certain freedom to express himself in a team committed to attractive football and yet, in front of a demanding crowd, would fail if he played purely for his own amusement.

Brilliant, decisive goals at the sharp end of the season suggest that 20-year-old Diallo, an Ivorian who joined from Atalanta in January 2021, has lived up to this.

And of course it works for Sunderland too, as they inject elite quality that they otherwise couldn’t afford into the squad.

It’s the definition of a good loan and for EFL clubs a good loan can make all the difference.

See Nathan Tella and Ian Maatsen at Burnley or the impact of James McAtee and Tommy Doyle at Sheffield United. See Brooke Norton-Cuffy and Callum Doyle in Coventry or Cameron Archer and Aaron Ramsey in Middlesbrough.

Those clubs that are experiencing successful seasons have received good loans.

At the bottom of the pyramid, some clubs would struggle to survive without the flexibility of the loan system. Stevenage has loaned 11 players over the course of last season, including five different goalkeepers.

However, all this is firmly on the terms of the parent clubs.

When Sheffield met United City in the FA Cup semi-final, McAtee and Doyle were unable to play. They cannot both return to Bramall Lane on loan next season as Premier League rules prohibit it.

They would have to sign at least one permanently to keep them next season. That’s without taking into account Pep Guardiola’s plans for the pair. Ten Hag would like to have Diallo in his selection, but it is a big step to United’s first team.

What kind of development then? Each case is different – what is good for one player may not be good for the next – and hostage to fortune, such as injuries and manager changes and new signings, but all depend on opportunity.

There is no bridging the gap between the youth team and the first team without opportunities.

Djed Spence was a huge success on loan at Nottingham Forest, an integral part of promotion and move to Tottenham where he barely played before being loaned to Rennes in January when they signed Pedro Porro, who plays in exactly the same position, for £45 million.

Conor Gallagher excelled at Crystal Palace. He played with confidence and authority. Back at Chelsea, he is lost in the crowd of a wild recruitment drive. They have so many players that they don’t always have enough seats in team meetings, and they have more than a dozen on loan.

Despite new FIFA limits, wealthy clubs continue to stockpile footballers. Some keep them in the house to cherish. They hedge bets, hold some cover or supplement the Under-21 team. Many work in the loan market.

3,178 players have been loaned worldwide, according to research by CIES Football Observatory from March.

Arsenal came out on top with 25 players on loan and there were eight Premier League clubs in the top 20. Brighton has 21 players on loan and Manchester City 20.

This does not take into account those who work within a multi-club model. City have added Brazilian club Bahia to their empire and other Premier League clubs are busy following suit in South America, where talent abounds.

We are heading for a world where a small wealthy group of clubs control an increasing share of all players and that cannot be healthy for the game. FIFA might want to look into it, as further restrictions wouldn’t hurt.

Meanwhile, we can be happy when people like Diallo, McAtee and Co break through and shine.

The Turkish Süper Lig can kill or cure a career. Things didn’t go as planned for Dele Alli at Besiktas, but Nathan Redmond is thriving in the same place.

Redmond signed a one-year contract in September, inspired by a chance encounter with David Beckham at the airport on his way to Istanbul. Beckham told him about the joys of football abroad, but that the key to success was embracing the culture.

Redmond has really taken off since the World Cup break, returning to full competitive edge after barely playing in his final months at Southampton, and with confidence rising under new boss Senol Gunes.

Besiktas are making a run for the top with nine wins and a draw in their last 10 games, including wins against Galatasaray and Fenerbahce. Redmond has scored four times in his last seven appearances. The fans love him and Gunes wants him to sign a long-term contract. But in this form, on a free and still only 29, there is certainly interest from the Premier League.

Among the unused substitutes for Fulham last week against Leicester was an academy graduate with a curious pedigree.

Matt Dibley-Dias is a grandson of Manoel Jose Dias, a Brazilian midfielder, who played for both Flamengo and Corinthians in the 1960s. Known as Manoelzinho, he died in 2004 shortly after 19-year-old Dibley-Dias was born.

The Fulham teenager, who resembles Kaka in appearance, is eligible to play for England, Brazil, Portugal or New Zealand, where he was born.

Thirty years ago, the last major European final took place in the old Wembley Stadium. Parma, with Tomas Brolin in the team and Tino Asprilla unused on the bench, defeated Royal Antwerp 3-1 in the final of the European Cup Winners’ Cup.

UEFA has gone one extreme to the other with the Europa Conference League final heading to Prague’s 20,000-capacity Fortuna Stadium.

Peterborough’s Barry Fry has always had confidence in non-league players and Friday’s 4-0 win in the play-offs against Sheffield Wednesday saw three key contributions from his former club Barnet.

Jack Taylor scored the first, Ephron Mason-Clark provided the third and England U20 center back Ronnie Edwards impressed at the back.