Aston Villa still in Jadon Sancho fight as rival manager makes ‘direct contact’ for Man Utd flop

Borussia Dortmund are closing in on a deal to re-sign Jadon Sancho this summer, with TEAMtalk understanding head coach Niko Kovac has played a key role in pushing the move forward – but nothing is over the line yet and Aston Villa continue to retain hope thanks to two key ingredients of their own.

Sancho becomes a free transfer on July 1 after failing to justify anywhere near the £73m (€85m, $100m) fee Manchester United paid Borussia Dortmund in summer 2021. While United have the option to extend his deal by a year this summer, the decision has already been taken to let him leave on a free, thus confirming a 100% loss on their original investment.

And, after we exclusively revealed way back on February 20 that Dortmund were ready to launch a move to bring the star back to the Westfalenstadion for the third time, that move has now started to gather serious momentum.

Indeed, sources confirm that the Bundesliga side are leading the race to sign the winger, 26, ahead of Aston Villa.

The England international has held talks with both clubs in recent weeks, but sources indicate that Dortmund have made significant progress over the past fortnight and have now moved into pole position.

A crucial factor has been direct contact from Kovac, who has outlined to Sancho how he would fit into his tactical system. TEAMtalk understands those conversations were extremely positive, with all parties aligned over the winger’s potential role and future at the club.

Dortmund’s hierarchy are now working through the financial structure of the deal and are yet to confirm a final offer as they decide whether to push through a move.

While Sancho would arrive on a free, he is still expected to become one of the club’s top earners – albeit with the player prepared to take a substantial pay cut on his current Manchester United wages.

Despite Dortmund’s advances, the race is not yet over….

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Aston Villa still have Jadon Sancho transfer chance

Sancho and his representatives remain in dialogue with Aston Villa, who continue to present a compelling option, and retain a chance of his signing for two reasons.

Firstly, the 26-year-old is known to hold Villa boss Unai Emery in high regard, while that admiration is mutual, keeping Villa firmly in contention for a potential deal.

The Midlands club are determined to remain competitive in the pursuit and have not given up hope of convincing Sancho to choose a Premier League stay over a return to Germany. Villa could also offer him a better financial package, albeit again, some distance short of the £250,000 a week he was on at Old Trafford.

However, with Dortmund accelerating their efforts and internal confidence growing, the Bundesliga giants are now in a strong position as they attempt to bring Sancho back to Signal Iduna Park.

A final decision is expected in the coming weeks, with both clubs continuing to push their respective cases for one of the most high-profile free transfers of the summer.

Sancho has four goal contributions (one goal, three assists) from 34 appearances for Villa.

Elsewhere on the incoming front, Villa are reportedly ready to renew their interest in a Manchester City attacker Pep Guardiola has previously labelled ‘special’ in the upcoming summer transfer window.

The Villans are also pursuing a top Southampton star, per recent reports.

On the outgoing front, reports over the weekend claim Man Utd are the most serious suitor for a £100m-rated Villa star after both Liverpool and Bayern Munich cooled their own quests to land him.