Jadon Sancho could be targeted by Roma in January after failing to nail down a regular starting berth at Aston Villa. The 25-year-old moved to Villa Park on loan from Manchester United in the summer but is yet to start a Premier League game for his new side.
Sancho has endured a difficult period on the pitch since leaving Borussia Dortmund in favour of a move to Manchester United in 2021. The winger was unable to establish himself at Old Trafford and had loan spells with Dortmund and Chelsea before opting for a stint in the west Midlands.
Sancho reportedly attracted interest from Roma in the summer ahead of his move to Villa Park.
And, according to Tuttomercatoweb, it isn’t out of the question that the Italian team could reignite their interest in the Englishman.
Roma are also chasing a striker, with United forward Joshua Zirkzee said to be their priority target.
If the San Siro giants attempt to press ahead to sign the Netherlands international, they would aim for a loan deal with an obligation to buy him permanently on the basis that they qualify for next season’s Champions League.
But Roma, who also have Tottenham winger Mathys Tel on their radar, are reportedly working with a limited budget and are therefore seeking solutions that aren’t too financially demanding.
So the club may be tempted to see whether they can thrash out a deal to sign Sancho on the cheap, given the fact that the player hasn’t been able to rediscover his best form for a number of years.
But United could shoot themselves in the foot if they do decide to accept a nominal fee for the former Manchester City academy starlet as Roma could decide to end their interest in Zirkzee.
That would leave United out of pocket as they may still expect a decent transfer fee for Zirkzee, who was a hit in Serie A before moving to England.
Meanwhile, Sancho’s sale to Roma would create a domino effect as Villa would lose an exciting attacking option who could yet light up Villa Park if given the chance to shine by manager Unai Emery.
United will have to decide their priorities for the January transfer window, but the opportunity to bank some cash for the out-of-favour Zirkzee is probably right up there on their to-do list.
And Sancho will also be pondering whether to push for another move as he attempts to get his career back on track once and for all.