Dortmund have slashed asking price for Man Utd target Sancho – here’s why

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 17 May 2021 15:15 BST
• 5 min read

Jadon Sancho continues to be a leading summer transfer target for Manchester United, and now it has been made clear to fans roughly what Borussia Dortmund expect to recoup for the winger.

England international Sancho was subject to a long-running transfer saga involving Man Utd last summer.

READ MORE: How Man Utd could line up with Sancho

At the time, it was expected that the Red Devils were going to have to stump up around €120 million to sign the attacker.

Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc has said that he can leave this summer “under certain conditions”, which doubtless includes a suitable transfer valuation being matched.

Now, however, Sport1 reports that Sancho will be available for a fraction of that price, with Dortmund expecting around €85-€90m for the young forward.

Why has Sancho’s valuation dropped?

There are several factors that have contributed to Sancho’s price being slashed by around a third this summer.

Firstly, his performances have depreciated this season. Admittedly, his form has bounced back spectacularly in recent weeks, but in the early part of the season, Sancho was a shadow of himself, with Man Utd’s interest a widely cited reason for his poor displays.

This season, the 21-year-old has 12 goals and 18 assists in all competitions. Last season, he hit 20 goals and 20 assists. He has gone from being involved in a goal once every 74 minutes to almost exactly once every 90 minutes. It’s not a dramatic drop off, but if Dortmund are not guaranteed to see the best version of Sancho, his value to them falls.

Secondly, the Covid-19 crisis continues to bite clubs financially. Although Dortmund have given assurances that their financial situation is firm, the overall value of players is set to drop this summer, and inevitably that has a knock-on effect on everyone.

Finally, and this is the least important factor, Sancho has only two years remaining on his contract, which inevitable erodes his value. However, this factor really accelerates in the final 12 months and will not have a dramatic impact on Sancho this summer.