Everything that has changed since Man Utd’s last Jadon Sancho transfer attempt
Manchester United fans storm the Old Trafford Pitch
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Jadon Sancho has long been one of the most highly-sought midfielders in European football, at just 21 years of age he has vast experience in both the Bundesliga and the Champions League, with the impressive stats to match.
86 goal contributions in 101 league games for Borussia Dortmund is quite the return for a player Manchester City were happy to part ways with back in August 2017.
A return to Manchester has long been touted by a number of reports, but to the red half rather than the blue.
Manchester United have been linked with Sancho’s name for the last two summer window’s, though Dortmund’s valuation of the young talent seemed to be a price the Red Devils simply weren’t willing to pay.
However, certain factors have changed since United first registered their interest a number of transfer windows ago, and this summer could be as good a time as any to lure Sancho to Old Trafford.
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PRICE DROP
Though Sancho’s talent in undeniable, he has fallen someway short of his own high standards this campaign.
Six league goals, 12 in all competitions, the England international has also had to endure a season littered with injuries.
His last goal contribution came all the way back in February, though he was forced to sit out Dortmund’s last half a dozen fixtures with a muscle injury.
It is also simply another year done on his contract, the closer to the expiry date – the less United can expect to pay.
BVB now have a serious dilemma on their hands, given Sancho is only tied to the club until 2022, cash in on him this summer – or face losing him for free next year.
With fellow Dortmund striker Erling Haaland also rumoured with a move away from Signal Iduna park, the German giants could be staring down the barrel of a mass exodus of young talent.
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Focus On Youth
Much of the Old Trafford faithful’s optimism stems from the number of bright youth prospects they currently have at the club.
Mason Greenwood has been a revelation since he was first introduced to the senior set-up, bagging a number of important goals against the likes of Tottenham and Liverpool, with Gary Neville claiming the 19-year-old was the best finisher at the club.
The signings of Amad Diallo and Facundo Pellistri also represent a shift in focus from those running the club, with an eye to the future.
Diallo in particular has already earned plaudits for his performances in a United shirt, his highlight being his remarkable backwards looping header in the first-leg of his side’s Europa League clash at home to AC Milan.
Whether those higher up at United see Sancho as someone the younger players could learn from, or an obstacle to their progression remains to be seen.
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Changing Priorities
There is an argument to be had that United simply don’t need Sancho as much as they used to.
Paul Pogba has enjoyed a string of excellent performances while operating as a wide midfielder, while there are other more glaring positions that need to be rectified before the club spend big on Sancho.
The club could be without Edison Cavani next season who is yet to decide whether he will activate a contract extension, while asking Greenwood to carry the brunt of the strike force next year, as talent as he is, is a lot to expect of a teenager at a club the size of Manchester United.
Though £80m was spent on club captain Harry Maguire, finding him a solid, consistent partner has proved a more difficult task, with both Victor Lindelöf and Eric Bailly showing they have tendencies to make costly errors at times.
Money that was once potentially put aside for Sancho may be better spent elsewhere.
Boardroom Upheaval
The club are still reeling from the news of Ed Woodward’s departure, with the Chief Executive set to step down from his role come the end of the season.
In the wake of the news, Manchester United announced the appointment of the club’s first ever football director in John Murtough.
Previously the club’s head of football development, he is now tasked with overseeing operations and strategy across all football functions at Manchester United.
This would involve keeping an eye on potential incoming signings, and securing the services of someone of Sancho’s stature would be quite the statement from Murtough in his new role.
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