This saga could yet go on for a while
Manchester United are prepared to pull the plug on their negotiations with Borussia Dortmund over the transfer of Jadon Sancho if the German club don’t lower their valuation of the player, according to reports surfacing on Thursday evening.
The well connected football journalist David Ornstein has reported that in contrast to other reports, no fee has been agreed between the two clubs, nor personal terms. This follows reports earlier in the day from German newspaper SportBild that Sancho had agreed terms on a contract with United that would see him earn €17.6m a year.
The new reports indicate that the arbitrary deadline of August 10th set by Dortmund is unrealistic, and United will not rush proceedings, with other options lined up should the deal fall through.
United are believed to have balked at Dortmund’s €120 million (£108 million) asking price for the 20-year-old, which would make Sancho the most expensive English player in history.
We have seen this before from United last summer in the saga that eventually saw Harry Maguire join from Leicester for £80m. If we have learned anything from previous sagas, it’s that United will attempt to play hardball before eventually coughing up the money for the player they have long admired.
This could go on for a while yet.