Should Manchester United stop pursuing Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho?

Weeks into the summer transfer window and Man United are nowhere closer to signing Jadon Sancho.

It is that part of the year during the football season that every Manchester United fan hates to be a part of. The transfer window has been painful for a Red Devil since the departure of legendary Sir Alex Ferguson from Old Trafford.

The board has either signed a player who doesn’t fit the club’s policy or they have signed a player who is not of the club’s caliber. It has affected the team so much that the problems are all over the pitch for the manager to sort out.

The trend has continued for the seventh successive season. United have failed to sign their targets either due to the board’s incompetency or due to the high wages and demands of the targetted player.

Ed Woodward has only bought Donny van de Beek from Ajax so far compared to that of Chelsea’s shopping list of Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Thiago Silva, Ben Chilwell, and three other players. Once again the fans are left angered and have turned on the owners, with the club failing to lure Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund despite the player being their top priority and ready to make the move.

Various outlets and journalists are reporting that the club is still in the transfer market to complete Sancho’s signing. However, it seems that the English club has hit a stumbling block in their pursuit of him.

The current issue stopping Man United from completing the transfer is the asking price of €120m from BVB. No secret! One can easily identify that the Old Trafford outfit is reluctant to splash a huge amount of cash on the right-winger, who has had two good seasons under his belt with the German club.

With just four days left for Manchester United to start the new campaign, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer might have to go with just one addition to his squad of last season.

To earn the heading “title contender” or to even be a strong competitor in the Champions League with little doubt, the red half of Manchester requires a defender, a right-winger, and a classy striker.

How can moving away from Sancho help United?

Shifting their focus from Jadon Sancho can take the club in multiple directions. First and foremost would be the increased confidence and playing time of Mason Greenwood. Towards the end of the 2019/20 season, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer preferred Greenwood over Daniel James.

The gamble paid off for him as Greenwood added goals. He scored six goals post-pandemic and assisted once. Mason will be a starter if United fails to sign Jadon Sancho.

On the other hand, Red Devils can focus on other transfer targets. According to Fabrizio Romano, Manchester United are still in talks to sign Sergio Reguilon, who could be hijacked by Spurs if they do not act in a hurry.

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Reguilon will not only allow Brandon Williams to play in his natural right-back spot but also, the Spaniard can increase competition for Luke Shaw in the left-back position. With multiple players available as a cheaper alternative to Jadon Sancho, the club could easily go for those instead.

Real Madrid outcast, Gareth Bale, is once again being linked with the English giants and it would be perfect for Manchester United to go for the Welshman.

As they have struggled to get rid of Alexis Sanchez who was on high wages, the Red Devils should go for a possible loan deal for Gareth Bale who would be itching to prove himself once again on the pitch.

The club is also linked with AFC Bournemouth’s David Brooks who would not only fit United’s “British first” policy but also ticks all the boxes of a United player. Giving a longer run to Diogo Dalot can also bring out some surprising results for the club who are yet to explore Dalot’s potential.

It would be sad to see the Jadon Sancho transfer not happening for the EPL club but signing an alternative who can be a potent weapon for Ole is always preferred and an option that needs to be considered over the Sancho transfer itself.

The Sancho deal can still be reached before October 5th. It would be wise for the club to move away from their primary transfer targets and start adding depth in pressing areas before going into the campaign with one new player.