Manchester United must break their current transfer record if they are to land Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho.
Borussia Dortmund football club have made it clear that they will not accept less than €120m for the Englishman and Manchester United may not be willing to pay that.
Is Jadon Sancho Worth that amount?
Jadon Sancho moved to Dortmund in 2018 looking for first team opportunities which he wasn’t going to be afforded at Manchester City. He was clearly not contented with being on the fringes so he made the bold move to depart his country at such a young age. Since then, he has emerged into one of the best wingers in the world and it’s no surprise to see Manchester United interested in him. The Red Devils are still in search of a stellar number seven since Cristiano Ronaldo and Sancho can easily be that man. While his quality is obvious, Dortmund’s asking price is a bit hefty so little wonder why United are trying to negotiate the fee down. The United hierarchy would have seen Chelsea pay less than Dortmund’s asking price for Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner combined. It could well be a plot by BVB to scare the English giants off their star man. Only time will tell
The COVID-19 effect on the transfer market
While we have seen United splash out some questionable fees in the past, now looks like the unlikeliest time for a repeat of such actions. The pandemic has resulted in financial losses for clubs all over the world. This has seem them become economically frugal in the transfer market with free transfers and swap deals now rampant more than ever. As United face their dilemma in landing Sancho, they could make up for their deficit in Dortmund’s current valuations with add-ons which would be paid when normalcy has totally returned.
Possible alternatives should the move fail
Assuming neither of the clubs budges from their current stances, United will need to look elsewhere for their next marquee signing. A good option is Jack Grealish who was crucial in keeping Aston Villa up last season. He will certainly cost lesser than Sancho and would be a good alternative. Kai Havertz is also available although he looks set for a move to Chelsea. A more unpopular choice would be handing the spot permanently to Mason Greenwood who showed his quality throughout last season. However, United may not want to hamper his long-term development as a centre forward.
