Borussia Dortmund wing sensation Jadon Sancho has been promised a move this summer, with Manchester United the likeliest destination, according to reports in Germany.
Sancho has been strongly linked a with move to Old Trafford for over year, with reports last summer suggesting that wages had been agreed between the England man and United.
However, with the two clubs unable to agree upon the terms and structure of a deal, the saga ultimately ended in disappointment.
Despite suggestions from the United camp that a 10th of August deadline was arbitrary, the German club remained steadfast in their refusal to budge on either the timescale or fee.
That could be set to change this time around, with Dortmund Sports Director Michael Zorc confirming that a transfer is now possible. “Jadon already had a gentleman’s agreement last year,” Zorc confirmed, “he’s been with us for a few years now. He may change under certain conditions.”
With two years left on his contract, and all clubs affected economically by the Covid pandemic, the fee is now believed to have dropped to around £80m.
Again, time is likely to be a factor, with the German club expecting the situation to be resolved before the arrival of new Head Coach Marco Rose in July.
Sancho himself is said to be keen for the move to happen and would like a deal to be made before the European Championships begin on June the 11th. So, one way or another, this epic transfer tussle could well be completed in the next three weeks.
With the terms clear and the player keen to move, the ball is very much in United’s court. United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is widely known to be in the market for extra firepower; with Harry Kane, Kamaldeen Sulemana and old-boy Cristiano Ronaldo all being linked with a move in recent weeks.
If Sancho remains the number one target, the noises out of Germany suggest he is finally attainable.
Following a subdued start to the season, Sancho has hit top form in the Bundesliga over the past three months. The England man has registered a highly impressive 36 goal involvements from 38 games, with 16 of those goals.
The frankly delicious prospect of him linking up with Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood and Bruno Fernandes now seems more realistic than ever.