Borussia Dortmund will not accept any Ballon d’Or clause in Manchester United’s offers for Jadon Sancho, according to reports.
The Red Devils acted on their long-term interest in Sancho by submitting a formal bid for the England winger earlier this week.
United chiefs have agreed personal terms with the 21-year-old, who came close to moving to Old Trafford last summer.
But their £67million offer was rejected by Dortmund, who value the former Manchester City academy prospect at £81.5million.
Adding to their grievances over the up-front fee, the Bundesliga club are concerned over the nature of the add-ons in United’s initial offer.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
That’s according to The Athletic , which claims Dortmund are not interested in any add-ons they deem to be unrealistic.
For example, they have rejected a Ballon d’Or clause which would have been activated if Sancho finished in the top three at the prestigious annual awards ceremony.
Instead, the report adds Dortmund will push for instalments based on United’s future income based on the success of the team rather than Sancho individually.
United utilised a similar Ballon d’Or clause as they signed Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon in January 2020.
But the club’s negotiators will need to go back to the drawing board in their pursuit of Sancho as they look to avoid a repeat of last summer’s prolonged – and ultimately unsuccessful – talks.
The Red Devils were unwilling to stump up Dortmund’s £108million asking price for the Three Lions star, preferring to wait another year and rekindle their interest.
Will Manchester United get a deal for Jadon Sancho over the line this summer? Have your say in the comments.
Their gamble is on the verge of paying off, with Sancho available at a lower fee and the player himself keen on the move after agreeing a five-year contract worth a reported £350,000 per week.
Earlier this week, he admitted he is being quizzed on speculation by his England teammates, telling talkSPORT : “Of course, all the boys have a lot of questions.
“I just tell them – ‘look, I’m just focused on football at the moment’. I’m cool about it. There’s always going to be speculation, especially when you do well.
“It’s just how you handle that on the pitch and just keep doing what you’re doing.
“If you keep on doing that then I’m sure that won’t be a problem because the main thing is my football and that’s what I’m focused on at the moment.”
Sancho is aiming to carry over his blistering Dortmund form for England at Euro 2020, with Gareth Southgate’s side up against Croatia in their opener on Sunday.
The London native racked up 16 goals and 20 assists in 38 appearances in all competitions for his club this season, helping them lift the DFB-Pokal.
