Man Utd manager Ruben Amorim
Manchester United are doing all they can to get winger Jadon Sancho off the books and are set to hold a ‘video call’ with Juventus over a transfer, according to a reliable source.
The 25-year-old, who spent last season on loan with Chelsea, has been left out of Man Utd’s squad for their pre-season tour of the United States by Ruben Amorim.
Amorim has made it clear that he does not see Sancho as part of his long-term plans, and TEAMtalk has consistently reported that Man Utd want to sell, along with the likes of Antony, Marcus Rashford, and Alejandro Garnacho. The trio are also not included in the pre-season squad.
There is no shortage of interest in Sancho despite his hot and cold form last season, and reputed Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio has dropped a big update.
Di Marzio claims that Juventus will hold a ‘video call’ with Man Utd today in an attempt to thrash out a deal for Sancho. The report was published around midday earlier today (June 25), so the call may have now taken place.
The report adds that Juventus will ‘push’ for the signing and are reaching out to understand ‘the feasibility of the operation.’
Juventus are eyeing Sancho amid speculation surrounding two of their wingers – Timothy Weah and Samuel Mbangula – who are ‘heading to the Premier League’, according to Di Marzio. TEAMtalk transfer correspondent Rudy Galetti revealed on June 20 that Weah is of interest to Everton and Tottenham.
Fenerbahce still in Jadon Sancho race – sources
Galetti has confirmed to TEAMtalk that Juventus have joined the race for Sancho, but a switch to Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce also cannot be ruled out.
Man Utd have set a £30m (€35m / $41m) price tag for Sancho, as TEAMtalk revealed on June 17, but Fenerbahce are hoping to agree on a fee between £20-25m.
The real obstacle for Fenerbahce though is convincing Sancho to join. The Super Lig outfit are aware that negotiations will take time, mainly as the big challenge will be reaching an agreement on wages.
That’s why, as things stand, Fenerbahce are focusing mainly on talks with Sancho himself, trying to reach an agreement over personal terms.
The winger is still asking for a salary of around £10m (€12m / $14m) per year, which equates to around £200k a week. This is a fee that Fenerbahce are hoping to reduce before pressing ahead with the swoop.
Wages are also a key reason why Chelsea decided against signing Sancho permanently for £25m, instead paying a £5m penalty fee to cancel their obligation to buy, as part of their loan agreement.
Borussia Dortmund, Napoli, AC Milan, Aston Villa and several Saudi Pro League teams have also shown interest in Sancho.
So far, no team has agreed to match Sancho’s price tag without trying to negotiate his wages first. The chase for the England international is very much open, but Fenerbahce and Juventus are now pushing.