Amad Diallo set to join Man Utd this month despite late Atalanta bid to keep him

Atalanta youngster Amad Diallo is expected to join Manchester United this month as planned, despite the Italian club being keen to keep hold of him for the rest of the season.

United announced a £37m deal for the 18-year-old on deadline day of the delayed summer transfer window in October, with the Ivorian due to make the switch in the new year subject to acquiring a work permit.

The winger has since collected his Italian passport, allowing him to make the move to Old Trafford, but his January arrival was thrown into doubt after current manager Gian Piero Gasperini revealed in a press conference earlier on Saturday that he was keen to hold onto his man.

"It is clear that he is a Manchester United player now, but he could still remain here for a few months," Gasperini said (via Sky Sport Italia). "I like him a lot, he's only 18. I'd like him to stay until June, obviously it depends on his club."

Gasperini admitted he wants to keep the wide man - despite him only playing for 35 minutes of first-team football this season - as mitigation for the ongoing situation surrounding club legend Papu Gomez, who has essentially been frozen out of the squad in anticipation of a move away from Atalanta at the end of the season.

However, it seems Man Utd boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has put the kibosh on any attempt to keep Diallo in Bergamo, with transfer guru Fabrizio Romano tweeting: "Amad Diallo is set to join Manchester United in January and not in June, despite Atalanta trying to keep him on loan until the end of the season.

"Diallo won’t be part Atalanta team for next match against Sassuolo. Solskjaer wants him right now."

The news comes as little surprise, with Solskjaer saying on Friday that he was 'excited' for the teenager's arrival.

“[With] Amad we’ve had all the paperwork, or we’re waiting for all the paperwork. I can’t see any obstacles really,” he said (via United's official website). “Hopefully within not too long he’ll be with us.

“I’m very excited about bringing him in. I think he’s shown a few times his qualities. Of course he has to learn to play in England, that’s a different level of football. We’ll give him time to develop and to express himself."