Harry Diamond
Manchester United are ‘ready to walk away’ from a deal for Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho amid ‘completely unrealistic’ demands from the Bundesliga side.
Sancho has emerged as the club’s number one transfer target for the summer window and reports this week suggested a move for the England international was edging closer, Dortmund prepared to accept a structured deal that would see the winger become the most expensive player in British football history.
The 20-year-old has flourished into one of world football’s most exciting talents during three seasons in German football and Dortmund are under no financial pressure to sell their prized asset, Lucien Favre’s side demanding a fee in the region of £108m for the former Manchester City youngster.
United have reportedly agreed personal terms with the player who is said to be keen on a return to the Premier League, though talks with Dortmund have stalled over what would represent a club-record outlay.
According to the Telegraph, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side believes the German’s current valuation of Sancho is ‘completely unrealistic’ amid the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic, with the Red Devils having taken a hit of around £150m in lost income and expenditure.
?? that’s the situation for #Sancho.
Talks on. Personal terms are ok. It’s up to the two clubs and needs time.
Still not agreed about installments and add ons to arrive at final fee. But talks are on ‘day by day’ and no deadline. ? https://t.co/F0wtB53azT
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 4, 2020
Talks are continuing between the two sides but United are prepared to withdraw from a deal if a sensible compromise can not be found, the club believing Sancho’s record-breaking valuation is ‘unreflective of a much changed market’ which has seen the likes of Timo Werner and Leroy Sane make big moves for reduced fees.
Hopes are high that an agreement can be reached in the coming days with Dortmund having said negotiations must be completed before August 10, the side set to fly to Switzerland for a pre-season training camp and insisting Sancho will remain at the Westfalenstadion next season if he is part of that travelling party.
The BBC are also reporting that the two sides remain ‘far apart’ in their valuation, and alternatives will be considered should a deal not be reached, Solskjaer keen to bolster his squad ahead of next season’s return to the Champions League with defensive additions also a priority.
There will also be an attempt to raise funds through player sales with Alexis Sanchez edging closer to a permanent move to Inter Milan – the removal of the Chile international’s club-record wages a huge boost to the club’s finances – whilst the Red Devils will also consider offers for the likes of Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo.
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