Why Man Utd are unlikely to entertain Jadon Sancho swap deal

Manchester United are unlikely to entertain any offer from Borussia Dortmund for the permanent transfer of Jadon Sancho if they try to use Donyell Malen as a makeweight, 90min understands.

Sancho rejoined Dortmund in January on loan for the rest of the 2023/24 season having fallen out with United manager Erik ten Hag back in September. The Dutchman claimed he dropped Sancho from their matchday squad to face Arsenal due to poor performances in training, but the winger firmly refuted these accusations on social media. He didn’t delete the post for several days and has refused to apologise to Ten Hag since – the United manager wants a private and public apology.

Dortmund agreed to re-sign Sancho on a straight loan during the January transfer window. They will pay United a €4m fee plus a portion of his wages, but the two clubs couldn’t agree terms on a purchase clause.

Sancho’s future at United remains unclear, though 90min reported in January he does not wish to not return if Ten Hag is still in charge and his reintegration would be easier if a new manager is in place given his reluctance to apologise.

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Dortmund may look to sign Sancho back on a permanent basis and reports from across Europe have recently suggested they could float in-form forward Malen as part of the deal. However, sources have told 90min this is not United’s preference.

If United do sell Sancho, they would prefer it to be a straight sale involving cash only and without players as attachments as this would show up better on the books and allow them to move more freely in the market. Should United be interested in signing a player from a club that purchases Sancho, they would look to keep the deals separate and potentially delay an incoming to put it into the next financial year in that scenario.

Malen is a player United have long been linked with dating back to his days at PSV Eindhoven, while he has found his feet at Dortmund and has already scored 13 goals in 31 matches across all competitions this season. He recently called exit suggestions ‘just rumour’.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who recently completed the purchase of a 28% stake in United, is still finalising the club’s summer transfer plans. In terms of incomings, they have not advanced beyond identifying positions in need of strengthening, though one concrete name on their list is Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise, who was a target for the previous regime and has been endorsed by INEOS.

Having spent several months out of competitive action, Sancho has only just returned to full sharpness. He scored his first goal back in a Dortmund shirt in Saturday’s 2-1 win at Werder Bremen. Malen, incidentally, scored BVB’s other goal.