Jadon Sancho
Chelsea are considering paying a penalty fee to back out of Jadon Sancho transfer
Chelsea are reportedly considering paying a penalty fee to get out of their agreement with Manchester United over Jadon Sancho.
The United loanee joined Chelsea on loan last summer, with an obligation to make the move permanent at the end of the season. It is believed the Blues will have to pay a fee of £25million for Sancho should they finish above 14th in the Premier League.
However, recent reports have claimed that Chelsea could back out of the proposal, but only if a significant fee is paid to United. The i newspaper reports the Stamford Bridge are now 'considering' this option.
Having already agreed to sign another winger, Geovany Quenda from Sporting Clube de Portugal, Chelsea could cut their losses on Sancho by paying the fee and avoid taking on his reported £250,000-a-week wages. The Manchester Evening News understands United held talks about signing Quenda but never submitted a bid for the youngster.
The 17-year-old will be competing against the likes of Pedro Neto, Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke and Mykhailo Mudryk at Chelsea. It's believed that Sancho's 'erratic form' has made the club think twice about completing a permanent move for him.
The 24-year-old had an impressive start to life at Stamford Bridge but has gone on to score just twice and register one assist in 29 appearances across all competitions. United, on the other hand, are planning for next season without Sancho.
The former Manchester City trainee was one of the United players named by Sir Jim Ratcliffe as being "overpriced" or "not good enough". "For Sancho, who now plays for Chelsea and we pay half his wages, we're paying £17m to buy him in the summer," Ratcliffe told the BBC.
If Chelsea opt to get out of their obligation to sign Sancho, United will have to look elsewhere to sell him. Banking the proceeds from a permanent exit would be welcome for the club's coffers, with Ruben Amorim operating under a severely restricted transfer budget as things stand - and when combined with a penalty fee from Chelsea, could represent the ideal outcome for United.
Former Chelsea star William Gallas has argued that Sancho can't stay at Stamford Bridge, suggesting he needs to do more.
"He's a talented player, everybody knows this, but we don't know why he can't perform and can't show what he can do," the former defender said.
"At Dortmund, he was magnificent. At Manchester United it didn't work well for him.
"He came to Chelsea and at the beginning we saw that Sancho from Dortmund, but then he disappeared.
"I don’t know what the problem is, but at the moment he can’t stay at Chelsea because he has to do more.
"When you play in the Premier League you have to play every game at the highest level. It’s not easy, but you can’t just play well for a few games and then chill out."
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