Manchester United transfer news as Jadon Sancho's move to AS Roma could open door to United's next transfer
Josh is a Senior Football Writer for Reach PLC's Central Audience Team. Having previously spent over a year at football.london as a trends writer, Josh has experience covering Leicester City for the Leicester Mercury. You can find Josh's work across Reach PLC sides such as Manchester Evening News, football.london, Liverpool Echo, LeedsLive and many more.
Jadon Sancho
Jadon Sancho is yet to secure a move out of Manchester United
(Image: 2024 Marc Atkins)
Manchester United's 'Bomb Squad' is proving to be more difficult to move on than first thought and with less than two weeks until the transfer window closes, it's proving a critical problem.
At the start of the summer, Alejandro Garnacho, Marcus Rashford, , Tyrell Malacia, Antony and Jadon Sancho all informed the club of their desire to leave. Fast forward to today and only Rashford has left the club.
The forward secured a move to Barcelona in July on loan for the season with the Spanish giants paying his full wages. The deal also contains an option for a permanent move at the end of the season.
Unfortunately for United, Malacia, Garnacho, Sancho and Antony remain on the books and moves away don't seem to be close. Garnacho has recently reportedly rejected a move to Bayern Munich in favour of Chelsea, though that is no closer to being finalised than before, while Antony continues to be heavily linked with returning to Real Betis.
Content Image
Content Image
Sancho, who has spent the last season-and-a-half on loan away from Old Trafford, is the subject of interest from AS Roma. Sky Italy have reported that both teams have reached an agreement on a deal worth €19million (£16.4m) plus €5m (£4.3m) in add-ons.
Personal terms have been a problem and it was suggested earlier this week that Sancho turned the Italian outfit down. Reports have also suggested that Leon Bailey, Roma's latest signing, is trying to convince the former Borussia Dortmund star to move to north London.
In a world where United do succeed in convincing Sancho to move to Rome, they could also work their magic in bolstering Amorim's side. After improving their attack with the triple signings of Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko, a new midfielder is a priority at Old Trafford.
After cooling their Carlos Baleba interest and the fee needed to force Crystal Palace to entertain selling Adam Wharton, United are running out of time, and options, to bolster their defensive midfielder options.
With money tight and player sales not moving at a pace needed, United have their hands-tied. But with Roma and Sancho's ongoing saga, they may have their answer starring them in the face.
Manu Kone joined the club last season on loan from Borussia Monchengladbach and made his move to Italy permanent in the summer. However, he has been linked with a move away after Gian Piero Gasperini's appointment - with Inter Milan among the clubs said to be seriously pushing for him.
Manu Kone
Manu Kone could be a midfield target for Man United if they sell Jadon Sancho
Prior to his move to Roma, Kone was on the radar of Chelsea and Liverpool. Capable of playing as a holding midfielder or box-to-box, the Frenchman could be the ideal player to demand in their negotiations for Sancho's exit.
Improving their midfield and selling one of their wantaway stars would be a brilliant piece of business. It would also give them a solution to their financial concerns with the need to spend big no longer as pressing.
Here at The Manchester Evening News, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don't miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.
And, finally, if you would rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast, featuring The Samuel Luckhurst Show and The Midweek Debate. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.