Following endless speculation and rumours, Jadon Sancho appears closer to a move to Manchester United than he ever previously has been.
The 21-year-old Dortmund winger was courted by the Red Devils for the whole of last summer, but in the end his club held firm to cling onto his services for another season.
It is looking increasingly likely that things will be different this time round however, and the prospect of such a talented player in United’s front-line is one which is sure to excite fans of the club.
Nevertheless, the deal is not quite done yet, and there are still a number of factors that need to be taken into consideration when discussing what could be one of the biggest transfers of the summer…
Negotiations ongoing – but Dortmund have demand
With Sancho’s contract with Dortmund expiring in 2023, the German giants are much more willing to let the player move on in the current transfer window than they were last year.
There is an acceptance within the club that they have held onto him for as long as possible, and a big transfer fee would allow them to keep Erling Haaland for at least one more season.
Last summer Dortmund were not willing to sell Sancho for anything under a whopping £110m, but according to The Athletic they have now lowered their asking price to £80m.
However, while United would be happy to pay that amount, it is believed Dortmund also want to include an add-on clause which could rise to an extra £20m depending on how successful Sancho is at United.
This not-insignificant gap is one of the main sticking points at the moment, and negotiations are still ongoing between the two clubs to try to find an agreement, with Dortmund seemingly very much open to considering other suggestions.
The England problem
(Image: GETTY)
Sancho has somewhat surprisingly rather flown under the radar when England’s best attacking prospects have been discussed ahead of the Euros.
Perhaps the fact he plies his trade in Germany has something to do with it, but it still seems odd that a player who scored eight goals and created 11 assists in 24 Bundesliga starts this season appears to be slightly underrated by Three Lions followers.
The big worry for United, though, is over what happens if Sancho shines this summer.
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A stellar tournament from the youngster could well see Dortmund jack his price up, as the likes of Real Madrid or Barcelona could well join the race for his signature if they see him performing on the big stage.
For this reason United are desperate to get the deal wrapped up before the competition kicks off, but they are running out of time to do so, with England’s first group game against Croatia just nine days away.
What happens next?
Sancho is far from the only big-name player United are looking at this summer, with Real Madrid’s Raphael Varane and Kieran Trippier of Atletico Madrid two defenders who are on their radar.
But just like last year Sancho is their priority, and there is a feeling that his signature would bring back a feel-good atmosphere around the club following the bitter disappointment to the end of their season with the Europa League final loss to Villarreal.
Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has done little to hide his desire to add Sancho to his squad in the past, and would no doubt relish the opportunity to try to bring out the best of him in the Premier League.
Whether an agreement can be reached in the coming days remains to be seen, but this most long-winded of transfer sagas could well finally be coming to a satisfactory end for the Red Devils.
