Manchester: Manchester United are ready to battle Paris St-Germain for Jadon Sancho in a tug of war that could make the Borussia Dortmund winger the first £100 million (Dh484 million) English player.
Sancho has emerged as the top summer forward target for both United and PSG, who face each other in the second leg of their Champions League round-of-16 tie at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday with the French side 2-0 ahead.
Any move for the teenager would raise fresh doubts over the future of Alexis Sanchez, who has been a spectacular flop since his move to Old Trafford from Arsenal 14 months ago. Sanchez’s calamitous United career hit a new low yesterday when he was ruled out for up to two months with medial ligament damage to his right knee.
Sancho, 18, has established himself as one of the most exciting young players in Europe following his 8 million pounds move to Dortmund from Manchester City in August 2017. He has nine goals and 14 assists this season and Dortmund, having extended Sancho’s contract until 2022 in October last year, are determined to keep him. But United and PSG are preparing to test the resolve of the Bundesliga leaders.
United’s record purchase is the 89 million-pound midfielder Paul Pogba from Juventus in 2016 but there is a recognition that it could take 100 million or more to buy Sancho, given the enormous inflation in the transfer market.
Kyle Walker — who joined Manchester City from Tottenham Hotspur for 54 million in 2017 — is currently the most expensive English player. The prospect of United signing Sancho would be a potential embarrassment to City, who were unable to persuade the teenager to stay after he grew frustrated at the lack of first-team opportunities, only to see him flourish in Germany and establish himself as a full England international.
— The Telegraph Group Ltd, London
