Jadon Sancho is coming towards the end of his loan spell with Aston Villa and looks set to become a free agent when his contract at Manchester United expires in June
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 11: Jadon Sancho of Aston Villa during the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion at Villa Park on February 11, 2026 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)
Jadon Sancho's contract with Manchester United expires this summer(Image: Visionhaus/Getty Images)
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Borussia Dortmund want to re-sign Jadon Sancho on a free transfer from Manchester United. Sancho, 25, is out of contract at United this summer and he's unlikely to be offered a new deal.
The 23-time England international is currently on loan at Aston Villa, his third spell away from Old Trafford since joining the Red Devils for £73million in 2021. Sancho's switch to Villa was a dry loan, with no option to buy included.
Although Villa boss Unai Emery recently hinted at keeping the forward, Dortmund are circling. The Times report that after choosing not to target any wingers last summer - due to Nico Kovac's insistance on playing a 3-4-2-1 formation - the Dortmund manager has changed his mind and approved a move for Sancho.
The former Dortmund star would, however, need to take a significant pay cut on his £300,000-a-week wages at United in order to secure a return to the Signal Iduna Park. Sancho made his name with the Bundesliga club, who signed him from Manchester City in 2017.
Kovac's side have cash in reserve for the summer transfer window after deciding to let the contracts of Julian Brandt, Niklas Sule and Salih Ozcan run out. Dortmund will therefore save roughly £21million in annual wages and are optimistic that they can convince Sancho, who's free to sign a pre-contract agreement with a club from abroad.
The 25-year-old spent half a season back at Dortmund in 2024 after he was cast aside by ex-United boss Erik ten Hag. Sancho helped them reach the Champions League final but a permanent move never materialised.
The same happened when Sancho joined Chelsea on loan last season, with the Blues even paying a £5million penalty fee not to sign him permanently. Villa snapped him up on transfer deadline day in September but he's struggled to make an impact.
DORTMUND, GERMANY - MAY 01: Jadon Sancho of Dortmund celebrates after winning the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain at Signal Iduna Park on May 01, 2024 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
Jadon Sancho returned to Borussia Dortmund on loan in 2024(Image: Lars Baron/Getty Images)
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In 29 appearances across all competitions, Sancho has registered one goal and one assist. However, Emery sees potential in him.
Asked in February whether he'd considered signing Sancho permanently, the Villa manager replied: "Not yet, but he is a fantastic player. Hopefully, he can help us by increasing his qualities in our structure like he is doing.
"He will need another contract, and maybe it could be here. If he plays his best football, we will want him. But also other teams could be involved in the interest for him."