Manchester United are eager to sell Sancho, but is there a place for him in Italy?
Estranged Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho remains at the club, a month after Chelsea preferred to pay United £5m not to sign him – although it has now been revealed that the move fell through because the player refused to accept a wage cut.
Last month Juventus emerged as an option for Sancho instead. The Italian club want the move, according to reports from Italy. The player wants the move, again according to reports from Italy. But the deal is still not done, and it’s not entirely clear when it will be.
One key issue would be for Sancho to agree personal terms with Juventus, which would inevitably mean accepting a wage cut. The Italian club almost certainly cannot afford to pay what he is currently earning at United, and almost certainly no other club would be willing to do so. Especially when he is not exactly on the form of his life. Any club who sign Sancho – bar Borussia Dortmund – will also need to answer the question of whether they can get the best out of him.
Juventus see the player as an addition that can offer extra creativity on the wings. But the club will have to free up funds. According to Mirko Di Natale, who is familiar with Juventus matters, the club do not yet have United’s asking prize available. That fee is understood to be around €15-20m, bottom of the barrel compared to the €85m they paid for him in 2021.
One option that could hasten the deal, according to Di Natale, is the sale of Nico Gonzalez, whose future at Juventus is uncertain.
Manchester United, for their part, are eager to sell. For one thing, it is clear that there is no way back for Sancho in the current squad. For another, they need as much cash as they can get to fund their squad rebuild this summer, and a transfer fee for the player would go a long way, with United absolutely skint.
Sancho has only one year left on his contract, so a loan move is far from ideal. United also would not want to continue paying his salary for another year just for him to leave on a free next summer.
The Juventus deal can still happen, but for now it is far from certain.
