Jadon Sancho continues to be linked with Manchester United.
Ole Gunner Solskjaer has identified the former Manchester City youngster as a priority signing to continue the club’s rebuild.
The Athletic has previously reported that the Red Devils do have the money to sign the 20-year-old.
Manchester United Confident on Jadon Sancho Signing
Sancho Looks Set to Leave Germany this summer
Any deal has been made possible by the player’s own willingness to leave the Bundesliga. It is believed Sancho feels ready to finish his Borussia Dortmund journey. His preference is a return to his country of origin, and Premier League football.
Crucially, Sancho’s current contract with Dortmund has only two years left to run. The Bundesliga side are resigned to the fact that an extension is highly unlikely.
This means now is the best possible time for the club to cash in on their star player. Not even the coronavirus pandemic can change that.
Dortmund will still demand a fee above £100 million for the 20-year-old. The list of clubs in world football currently able to produce so much money is not a long one.
Why United Are Favourites for Jadon Sancho
Manchester United are one of the few clubs who do make that list. Executive Vice Chairman Ed Woodward stated recently that the Old Trafford outfit are not “immune” to the financial consequences of the pandemic, but even so, their very stature as one of the game’s global powerhouses means their resources are ever-plentiful.
This places them ahead of the chasing pack vying for Sancho’s signature. The Manchester Evening News are reporting that they have agreed on a fee of £100 million for the Englishman.
Given the desire of Sancho himself to return to England, United appear to be the only club capable of ticking all the boxes required to complete an anticipated transfer.
Arsenal simply cannot afford him, and neither can Liverpool. Sancho’s former club Manchester City have passed up on the possibility of joining the chase. Instead, Pep Guardiola’s side are on the verge of signing Spanish winger Ferran Torres from Valencia, for a more modest initial fee of £22.6 million.
The remaining Premier League club aside from United with sufficient financial might is Roman Abramovich’s Chelsea. But instead of spending over £100 million on one player, Abramovich is spreading his resources on several targets. Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner have already joined, and Kai Havertz is expected to follow.
The process of elimination indicates that United are the only ones left in the picture, hence their quiet confidence in concluding a deal. Sky Sports News are even reporting that Solskjaer’s side are the only club in Europe to have made contact with Borussia Dortmund regarding the player’s availability.
How a Deal Could Take Place Quicker Than Expected
Granted, this could still become the summer’s lengthiest saga. The Red Devils do have a history of taking their time in structuring their transfer dealings.
When the club made Paul Pogba the world’s most expensive player in 2016, negotiations with Juventus seemed to last an eternity. An even pricier deal for Sancho could take an age to conclude.
However, the club does seem to have adapted of late when it comes to signing players with increased efficiency. Last summer’s additions of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Daniel James were concluded with speed. Relatively speaking, so too was the transfer of Harry Maguire to Old Trafford, even though Leicester City were able to drive the price up to an eye-watering £80 million.
Additionally, even the January acquisition of Bruno Fernandes was summer business brought six months forward with Champions League football at stake. Manchester United are not messing about.
With Dortmund indicating an understandable willingness to negotiate the departure of their strongest asset before he enters the final year of his contract, Ed Woodward will surely want to act as fast as he can to bring in one of Europe’s most coveted young players.
Indeed Dortmund too will want to act fast. Another of their wingers, Andre Schurrle, announced his shock retirement at the end of the Bundesliga season, so they will be short-staffed in the wide areas if Sancho is also to leave. The German club will want the deal done in enough time for themselves to source a replacement. Time is of the essence.
The Jadon Sancho saga is only just beginning. Old Trafford looks the very likely destination of where it will end.
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