Manchester United are reported by Eurosport to be playing a cagey game over Jadon Sancho ahead of the summer.
The report claims Sancho is keen to return to the UK after spending the past few seasons in Germany with Borussia Dortmund.
United are said to be hesitant, and do not intend to pay over the odds.
Last summer United backed off when Dortmund wanted more than £100 million.
United are waiting to see what price Dortmund ask for this summer, before prioritising a move.
The big factor is believed to be Dortmund’s battle to finish in the Champions League qualification spots.
Failure would both hasten Sancho’s desire to leave, and Dortmund’s need to sell, from a financial perspective.
This makes it imperative that United line up alternative targets, so not to end up in a situation like last summer.
Sporting’s Pedro Goncalves (Telegraph) and Wolves’ Pedro Neto (The Sun) have both been recently named as other right wing options on United’s radar.
The right strategy
It makes some sense that United are not yet going all in on Sancho.
While it would be great to see United get in contact early with Dortmund and try and do a deal even before the season is done, this probably won’t be well received by the German club.
Dortmund have too much to play for, still in the Champions League last eight, as well as their Bundesliga battle, where they currently sit fifth. They don’t want the distraction.
United are exploring options, while considering all of the other positions the team need to strengthen. The club’s business this summer is a complicated puzzle, made up of a lot of positions to fill, not a huge amount of money, but a few interesting players to potentially sell too.
There should be multiple plans, ones which include Sancho, and ones which don’t.
The ones which do include him, will only do so at a sensible price, nowhere near what United were quoted last summer.
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