Manchester United 'bomb squad' member Jadon Sancho has reportedly emerged as a "secret" target for Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid.
Spanish outlet Fichajes.net reports that Sancho is on Simeone's radar as he looks to bolster his options out wide. They relay claims from German publisher Sport1 that Atleti are set to battle it out with Borussia Dortmund for the English winger.
Sancho spent last season on loan at Chelsea and the deal included a £25m obligation to buy. But his refusal to take a wage cut saw the Blues pay a £5m penalty fee to send him back to United, where he was been omitted from Ruben Amorim's squad during pre-season.
Atletico Madrid Enter Jadon Sancho Race
jadon sancho
United are keen to offload Sancho as soon as possible so that they can continue rebuilding Amorim's squad. Benjamin Sesko has become their latest acquisition in a £74m deal, joining fellow summer signings Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo at Old Trafford.
There is no way back for the Englishman who has flopped since joining the Red Devils from Dortmund in 2021 for £74m. He has been in Amorim's 'bomb squad', a group of players up for sale or available for loan because they are not part of the club's plans.
The 25-year-old is reportedly valued at £24.2m and has a year remaining on his contract, from which he earns £250,000 per week, per Capology. He showed improvement at Chelsea last season, scoring five goals and providing 10 assists in 41 games across all competitions.
Sancho is now prepared to reduce his salary by 30% to facilitate an exit, and the Metropolitano could be a destination. Simeone has recently used the Premier League to bolster his squad, signing Julian Alvarez from Manchester City, as well as Cesar Azpilicueta and Conor Gallagher from Chelsea.
The Argentine coach may need to persuade the 23-cap England international on a move given Dortmund's interest. His best years came at Signal Iduna Park, and he holds a strong relationship with the German giants, where he spent the second half of the 2023-24 campaign on loan.
Sancho has yet to play in Spain but could be the latest United player to head to La Liga. Marcus Rashford left for Barcelona on loan earlier this summer, and his compatriot was another player frozen out of Amorim's pre-season preparations.
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