Jadon Sancho acknowledges the Borussia Dortmund fans during his second stint at the club
Jadon Sancho acknowledges the Borussia Dortmund fans during his second stint at the club
Currently, Jadon Sancho represents a problem for Manchester United after the winger returned, cap in hand, to Old Trafford.
In an ideal world, the Reds would have sold Sancho to Chelsea this summer for the £25m fee which was agreed between the two clubs last year. However, after an underwhelming season at Stamford Bridge and unsuccessful talks with Enzo Maresca's recruitment team, a permanent move could not be sanctioned.
While United have managed to bag themselves a £5m penalty payment from the Blues, this will only be a drop in the ocean if they do not find another suitor for him. Fortunately, Sancho's stock does still remain high in certain corners of Europe.
One club that United can continue to rely upon for interest in Sancho is Dortmund. The 25-year-old has already had two stints at the Bundesliga club and could be in line for a third with The Athletic and Sky Sports News both reporting that Sancho has been shortlisted as a target this summer.
From United's perspective, it is easy to see why they would be interested in getting that deal done as soon as possible. The quicker they can get a fee bagged for Sancho, the sooner they will be able to progress with moves for other key targets like a new centre-forward.
But from Sancho's point of view, the deal would give him an opportunity to play a vital role at his new club - a repeat of what happened the first time he was in Germany. On Tuesday, Dortmund confirmed they had reached an agreement to sign Jobe Bellingham from Sunderland, a transfer which sees the central midfielder walk in the footsteps of his elder brother Jude.
When the current Real Madrid star and England poster boy reflected on his time at Dortmund in 2020, he spoke highly of Sancho and how he developed him as a player. "Sancho is really important for me," the 21-year-old told Kicker.
Jude Bellingham and Jadon Sancho pictured during Borussia Dortmund training in August 2020 (Image: AP)
"Not only because he comes from the same country as me or because he speaks the same language. What’s more important is how he puts his arm around me but also around the other young players, how he encourages us in our abilities, how he gives us confidence.
"He is a great role model for English players of my age. To receive praise and encouragement from him means an awful lot to me. It helps me a lot."
Having had such a profound impact on the elder Bellingham brother, Sancho knows that he could do the same for Jobe. If he were to join Dortmund, he knows he would be seen as a senior player that can help those younger to enhance their talent.
For Sancho, this is exactly the kind of transfer that he will be wanting to make. He wants to be valued at his next club and at Dortmund that would certainly be the case.
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