Manchester United’s attempts to sell Jadon Sancho this summer are not going as planned.
The England winger has been transfer listed by the Red Devils following a public spat with manager Erik ten Hag last autumn that saw the player first ostracised from the first team squad and then bundled off to Borussia Dortmund on loan for the rest of the season.
The 24-year-old re-found his form at Signal Iduna Park and was instrumental in the Bundesliga club somewhat surprisingly reaching the Champions League final.
The Germans want to keep Sancho on loan again in the coming season but with United strapped for cash, they would prefer a sale and have reportedly slapped a €50 million (£42m) price tag on the Man City academy graduate.
On paper, it seems like an extremely attractive price, but the climate in the European transfer market is extremely subdued, with most clubs struggling to comply with financial fair play rules or just simply struggling with runaway debt.
Serie A giants Juventus are a case in point. Usually one of the continent’s big spenders, the Old Lady simply do not have enough money to buy Sancho, even though he has become a top priority as they aim to add wingers to the squad in support of new manager Thiago Motta’s 4-3-3 system.
They are pushing United for a loan, and with no other clubs seeming to be interested in purchasing the star, it is something United appear to be considering.
However, even if United yield and agree to a loan, there is a big sticking point in negotiations, according to Corriere dello Sport.
“Juve is aiming for the right of redemption while the English would like the obligation to be guaranteed,” the outlet explains.
In other words, Juventus wants to have a fee agreed that they can choose to pay, or not, at the end of the season, but United wants a deal in which Juve are compelled to buy the player at a fixed fee in 12 months’ time.
Given the Turin club’s precarious financial position, not to mention Sancho’s somewhat tarnished reputation, it seems unlikely that they would agree to a compulsory purchase. The same would probably be true for Borussia Dortmund.
For United’s part, not being able to count on a guaranteed sale, at least in 12 months’ time, puts them in a very difficult position.
Should Juve not exercise their right to buy, in the summer of 2025 the Red Devils will have a player coming in to the last year of his contract, effectively ruling out further loans and making it even more difficult to sell next time around.
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