Borussia Dortmund director Sebastian Kehl has confirmed that he has been in contact with Jadon Sancho, with the Manchester United winger set to leave this summer.
Manchester United are prioritising player departures this summer as Rúben Amorim sets about rebuilding his squad at Old Trafford.
A £62.5 million deal for Matheus Cunha from Wolves has already been completed, while talks are ongoing with Brentford for Bryan Mbeumo, despite an initial bid of £45 million plus £10 million in add-ons being rejected.
United remain keen to sign a striker and a midfielder, and could also target a goalkeeper if André Onana leaves the club.
Several players will depart when their contracts expire at the end of the month, with more exits expected as part of Amorim’s planned overhaul.
Dortmund in contact with Sancho over summer move
One name who is undoubtedly on the way out this summer is Jadon Sancho, with the player deemed surplus to requirements at Old Trafford by Erik ten Hag 18 months ago.
The winger headed on loan to Borussia Dortmund, the club from which United signed him in 2021 for £73 million, for six months in January 2024, before embarking on a further season-long loan to Chelsea for the 2024/25 campaign.
Chelsea had the obligation to sign him for £25 million in the contract. Still, with the two parties failing to agree on a long-term contract, the London side chose to pay a £5 million penalty clause, which sees Sancho return to Old Trafford.
However, Dortmund are reportedly keen on signing Sancho for a third time, and club director Sebastian Kehl has now confirmed that they have remained in contact with the winger, although Sancho is not their main priority at present.
“Of course, contact with Jadon is always there, in some way, because we have a very long history,” Kehl explained.
“We have other priorities at the moment, and therefore, the Sancho issue may have been played more in the media than discussed internally.”
United must resist accepting another loan this summer
Many of the players United are looking to offload this summer have been on loan, with Marcus Rashford, Antony, and Tyrell Malacia all also set to depart after leaving the club on temporary deals in January.
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However, many of the clubs interested in the four players so far, particularly Real Betis’ interest in Antony and Barcelona’s interest in Rashford, have only been interested in securing said players on season-long loan deals.
This does not suit United. A significant reason for wanting to offload these players is to get their wage demands, with the aforementioned quartet earning just shy of an estimated £900,000 a week despite not playing for the club.
To fund new arrivals and ensure the wage books remain stable, United must see that all four of these players exit the club permanently this summer.
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