Manchester United have added a fourth player to their backup list should they be unsuccessful in signing Jadon Sancho.
According to The MEN, United have been scouting Schalke’s 19-year-old Rabbi Matondo and ‘view him as a more cost-efficient option in the next transfer window if Borussia Dortmund outprice them for Sancho.’
Liverpool-born Matondo has three Welsh caps already under his belt and would represent a similar sort of purchase to Dan James. Like Sancho, he is a product of Manchester City’s youth academy.
He has played 14 games for Schalke so far this season, mostly as a second striker, and scored a goal on his debut.
‘Sources say United regard Matondo in the same ‘low-risk buy’ bracket as his Wales teammate James’ The MEN claims.
The Red Devils have also been linked with Valencia’s Ferran Torres, Fiorentina’s Federico Chiesa and Shakhtar Donetsk’s Tete as backup options for the Sancho deal.
Fiorentina chief Joe Barone confirmed this week that English clubs are in the hunt for Chiesa, who is also coveted by Juventus and Inter Milan.
And Dortmund have also identified Torres as a potential replacement for Sancho should he leave.
Both Chiesa and Torres are considerably more established and expensive options to Matondo but will still be much cheaper than Sancho.
There will be an opportunity to do some home scouting of both Sancho and Matondo this weekend as Dortmund face Schalke on Saturday in their first Bundesliga match since lockdown.
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