German football expert: Jadon Sancho signing now down to Man United
Raphael Honigstein delivers the latest update on Man United's reported pursuit of Jadon Sancho this summer
It is up to Manchester United to cough up the money to sign Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund this summer, according to German football expert Raphael Honigstein.
The Red Devils have been strongly linked with a move to sign Sancho this summer as they look to add to their squad ahead of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s second full season in charge of the Old Trafford club.
Sancho, 20, is widely regarded to be one of the most exciting young prospects in European football, with the attacking midfielder having scored 17 goals and made 16 assists in the Bundesliga this season.
Manchester United are believed to be on the lookout for a number of potential signings this summer as the Red Devils look to add to their squad ahead of Solskjaer’s second season at the club.
The Red Devils bolstered their hopes of attracting some top talent this summer after they sealed a top-four finish in the Premier League to book their place in the Champions League for next season.
According to Sky Sports, Borussia Dortmund aren’t budging from their £110m valuation of Sancho, with £100m of that up front.
Now, German football expert Honigstein has delivered the latest update on Manchester United’s reported pursuit of the England international.
Speaking on the Sky Sports Transfer Talk podcast, Honigstein said of Sancho: There’s absolutely no doubt he would be a huge improvement on what they have, especially if you think of the traditional importance of width in the United team.
“Wingers that would get the crowd excited and those who take on players, whip in crosses and score themselves – all these things Sancho will do.
“The stats for a 20-year-old are unbelievable in terms of the goals he’s scored and assisted last season in a pretty talented Dortmund team. The flip-side to this conversation is that Dortmund want to make a very careful calculation which is similar to the one Leverkusen are making for Havertz.
“How much is the value of him staying with us? If we have to sell him for less next year, is that still a deal that is good for us because we have a better chance of winning the Bundesliga and going far in the Champions League next season with Sancho.
“That’s why they’ve been so adamant for the £110m valuation being met and being met earlier because they don’t want to get into a situation where they can’t bring anyone in, and they don’t want this to be a recurring theme until mid-October when the window could potentially still be open.
“Manchester United are still saying they are just in talks. It’s a bit murky where both sides will try to get the best possible deal. There’s a lot of poker and double-bluffing going on but it’s now down to United to say ‘here’s the money’.
“The line is the sand that Dortmund have made both in terms of the valuation and the deadline means it will be hard for them to back down from this stance. United are going to have to go very far to meet those demands.”
Manchester United will return to Europa League action on Wednesday night when they take on Austrian side LASK in the return leg of their round of 16 clash.
