Man Utd playing ‘tough poker game’ with £73m star as Bundesliga giants initiate ‘concrete negotiations’

Borussia Dortmund are planning to have ‘concrete negotiations’ with Manchester United regarding a deal for Jadon Sancho, although a key problem has presented itself.

The speculation surrounding Sancho’s long-term future is rife. It’s fair to say that his £73m move to Old Trafford hasn’t gone to plan, although it remains to be seen if he will be sold in the summer.

Following his public spat with Erik ten Hag, there doesn’t seem to be much of a way back for him under the Dutch boss. However, TEAMtalk sources have indicated that he could still have a future at the club if Ten Hag is sacked at the end of the campaign.

He’s currently on loan with Borussia Dortmund and since joining the German club on loan, he’s scored two goals and has provided two assists in 11 matches.

Reports have indicated that the Bundesliga outfit are keen to sign him on a permanent basis, although a couple of key issues have arisen.

According to SportBILD, Dortmund are hopeful that Sancho can convince Man Utd to let him leave. The report states that the German club are expecting a ‘tough poker game’ with the Red Devils in regards to agreeing on a permanent deal.

It’s thought that Dortmund can only pay a transfer fee of €30m (£25.7m) which is slightly below Man Utd’s reported asking price of £30m.

The German club are planning on having ‘concrete negotiations’ around the £25.7m mark as they hope to strike a deal with Man Utd at that price point.

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Wages are also an issue

Another problem that Dortmund are likely to face when discussing a permanent deal for Sancho relates to his salary package.

It’s been claimed that the 24-year-old is currently earning £250,000 per week at Man Utd. Unsurprisingly, that sort of figure is out of the equation for a side like Dortmund to offer.

Sancho’s deal at Man Utd runs until 2026 and he’d likely have to take a sizeable wage cut in order to leave the club on a permanent basis.

As a result of his lucrative salary, Ruhr Nachrichten recently reported that Dortmund’s chances of signing Sancho are becoming ‘dwindlingly slim’ because of the finances involved in the deal.

Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth believes that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS will only allow Sancho to leave the club on their own terms.

“With the way we’re hearing that INEOS are working, if Jadon Sancho is to go, they are going to want it done on their terms,” Sheth told Give Me Sport.

“INEOS will also want to make sure they avoid what seems to be happening in the past 10 years or so at Manchester United, where they haven’t been able to sell very well.

“This is a guy who is still in his early 20s, but it hasn’t worked out for him at Manchester United. There is £73million worth of investment, so they are going to want to recoup quite a bit of that if they are going to let him go.”

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