Manchester United loanee Jadon Sancho has now learned why one elite European club did not rival Aston Villa’s interest in signing him in the summer transfer window.
Jadon Sancho had been on the hunt for a new club after he was frozen out of the Manchester United first-team squad under Red Devils manager Ruben Amorim.
The 25-year-old former England international returned to Old Trafford in July after his season-long loan at Premier League side Chelsea expired at the end of June.
Chelsea made a U-turn on signing Sancho permanently after activating a clause that allowed the Blues to pay United a £5m penalty fee to veto a summer transfer.
Sancho was waiting on the sidelines for a move away from Old Trafford over the course of the summer before Aston Villa made a late deadline-day swoop for him.
Borussia Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl now explains why Aston Villa and Man Utd player Jadon Sancho was not targeted
Manchester United player Jadon Sancho had attracted interest from clubs in both Turkey and Saudi Arabia, as well as from Serie A teams like Juventus and Roma.
The former Chelsea attacker turned down the opportunity to sign for Roma in August and opted to remain in England and later moved to Aston Villa instead.
United signed Sancho from Borussia Dortmund in 2021 in a blockbuster £73m move, with the former England winger making a name for himself at the German club.
Sancho returned to Borussia Dortmund for a second spell during the second half of the 2023-24 campaign after the Bundesliga outfit signed him on loan from United.
Dortmund were linked with United outcast Sancho in the summer, but sporting director Sebastian Kehl has now revealed why a transfer never materialised.
“Of course, we also addressed the issue internally at some point, but there must be a feasible economic framework,” he told German newspaper Bild.
“With the transfers we have made, we have invested approximately €100m in new players, similar to last summer.”
“But there is no state, no sheikh, no billionaire behind us.”
“We have to earn our own money and, in the long run, can only spend what we previously earned.
“We have exhausted our financial possibilities for this transfer period.”
Aston Villa came to the rescue for former Borussia Dortmund ace Jadon Sancho with the late signing of the Man Utd exile
Sancho has completed his switch to Villa and the former Three Lions winger now has the opportunity to kick-start his career again after a poor spell at Old Trafford.
The Premier League club have taken Sancho out on loan for the 2025-26 campaign and reportedly agreed to pay 80 per cent of his £200k-a-week wages.
United have also received another major boost in covering Sancho’s hefty salary with the additional details included in the deal with fellow Premier League side Villa.
According to BBC Sport, Villa’s loan fee for Sancho and the inclusion of ‘easily achievable bonuses’ means that United can expect his wages to be fully costed.
Sancho struggled to find his stunning Borussia Dortmund form at United and the Villa signing only netted 12 times in 83 appearances for the Red Devils since 2021.
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