Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray believes Manchester United can get ‘big, big money’ for Amad Diallo if they decide to sell, though hopes they consider another loan before cashing in.

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The 20-year-old was on target again on Saturday in a man-of-the-match performance in Sunderland’s 2-1 victory over Birmingham City – a win which keeps them in the hunt for a play-off spot.

Amad has now netted 12 times in the Championship and United are believed to be weighing up selling him while his stock is high, and Mowbray feels he would have no end of suitors.

‘I have a good feeling for Amad that if he’s not back at United he will go for big, big money to a top Spanish team,’ said the Sunderland boss.

‘He loves football and wants to play so what do you do if you are at Manchester United?

‘Are you happy just to be a Manchester United player and play six sub appearances and two starts over a season of 60 games for them? Or do you want to go out and play?

‘So are they going to sell him? If they do they will want to recoup their money which was reputedly 40 euros or whatever it was.

‘The reality is he won’t be coming here, in my mind, unless they think he is going to be one hell of a player and needs to play, or he enjoys Sunderland and should keep going to play for them.

‘That would be the ideal scenario for us. Pretty unlikely I would suggest, but you never know because if they see him as genuinely someone who can play in their first team down the line they could keep him on board.

‘I would suggest they would try him at another level and he’d go (on loan) to the Premier League, or go back to Italy or Serie A or Spain. But let’s hope he is playing at Sunderland and banging in goals. There is a better chance if we are in the Premier League, he is playing against Premier League teams.’