Sky Sports reporter James Cooper has conceded that there is uncertainty over Man Utd’s pursuit of Jadon Sancho due to the coronavirus crisis and the financial impact it could have for clubs and their respective transfer budgets.
The 20-year-old has enjoyed a stunning spell with the Bundesliga giants thus far, scoring 31 goals and providing 42 assists in 90 appearances.
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In turn, that form has seemingly led to interest from elsewhere, as Sancho has been linked with a move to Old Trafford as noted in the reports below.
Although Cooper, who is the well-respected Manchester-based reporter for Sky Sports, insists that the England international is near the top of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s shortlist, he has suggested that the current crisis casts doubt over a potential move at this stage given the money involved.
“Jadon Sancho is a perfect example of the unknowns of the next window,” he told Sky Sports. “He’s young and exciting and a primary target for Solskjaer, but while a fee approaching £100m might have been something United looked at with interest, no one knows how valuations and transfer agreements are going to be structured in the wake of the lockdown.
“It’s been suggested to me we may see an increase in player swaps between clubs and while recruitment is an essential part of a club’s growth and development, any initial transfer window rush could be delayed until clubs have done their sums and worked out what they can spend and the value of what they’ve already got.”
The Evening Standard have suggested that Dortmund value Sancho closer to £120m while also specifically mentioning Man Utd as an interested party, and so it remains to be seen if United have the spending power regardless of the impact of the coronavirus crisis to continue that pursuit in the coming months.
It would certainly be a smart move as far as Solskjaer is concerned to pair Sancho’s quality in the final third alongside Bruno Fernandes to complement the pace and movement of the likes of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial.
The question though is seemingly whether or not it will still be a financially viable transfer swoop for the club, as having taken a financial hit for over two months and more depending on when the suspension of fixtures is lifted, it could force them to reconsider their summer plans and adjust accordingly to the lack of revenue generated since last month.