Which Premier League club is landing Jadon Sancho this summer?
Liverpool
Several observers in November and December of last year reported that the Reds were a “favorite” to land Sancho even as early as January. This led to Jurgen Klopp dismissing the rumors, suggesting he had “no clue” where they had come from. Curiously, he expressed that there had been interest by his club in Sancho prior to his move to Dortmund in 2017.
Liverpool definitely can afford the transfer and also sit on a $34.32 million “profit” for this season on their transfer business. The Reds have been known more for spending to fill obvious holes and getting the biggest value for the money spent. As Klopp’s club has Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane as starters on the wings, the only possible way to start for Sancho would be as a midfielder, which doesn’t make much sense. He has performed best as a winger and he wants to start regularly. Unless Liverpool considers selling Salah he won’t be doing that.
The Reds are the best team in the world and are likely to continue as a perennial league title contender and Champions League qualifier, which is a plus. However, the lack of a guaranteed regular starting role as a forward may be a drawback for Sancho.
Manchester United
United seems to be linked with nearly every big-named player. However, Jadon keeps popping up as a target for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s rebuilding plan and the Reds have been reported to be a top contender to secure his services. With Manchester United lacking depth, speed, creativity, and form on the forward line, Sancho is an excellent fit and can step right in as a starter.
The current wingers in United’s line-up, apart from the injured Marcus Rashford, are Daniel James, whose progress has been slow since coming to the club last summer, and Jesse Lingard, who has struggled enormously in the last year. With Martial and Greenwood seemingly playing more as center-forwards, United needs someone of Jadon’s caliber on the flanks.
He also fits “the plan” that appears to be taking shape at Old Trafford, as Ole and team chairman Ed Woodward are buying young talent to grow for a near-distant, uncertain future. Recent transfers Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Daniel James, Harry Maguire, and Bruno Fernandes are all under 26 years old.
However, there are some issues with Manchester United. First, reports have indicated that United are interested in Aston Villa’s attacking midfielder Jack Grealish for a summer transfer. If this comes to fruition and a deal is struck between the clubs, it is likely that this takes a big chunk of United’s “available” transfer funds. If the Reds sell Paul Pogba, then there may be more cash on hand.
Second, “the plan” as described earlier may get scuttled if Solskjaer gets sacked in the summer. The majority of the Reds troubles have been caused by over-spending on players that the manager wants and then sacking that manager and bringing in someone else who ends up not meshing with those players.
Lastly, United is quite likely to miss out on Champions League football next season. It is unclear whether or not Sancho would want to play for a club that might not be playing in Europe’s most elite club tournament. Does he want to play for a club that will play European matches in a country that no one can find on a map? Unlikely.