Man Utd dealt major blow in mission to offload Sancho

Tom Weber

Updated: 6 Dec 2023 16:45 GMT
4 min read

Jadon Sancho, Man Utd, 2023/24 — © ProShots

Jadon Sancho is only Juventus' Plan B for January, according to Italian media.

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Many Man Utd fans will have rejoiced at the news that Juventus hold a concrete interest in Jadon Sancho and that talks between representatives of the Bianconeri and the Red Devils have already taken place to explore the conditions of the deal.

Indeed, the exiled winger isn't the only Man Utd problem Juventus have been said to be open to solving as the Italian giants have also been linked with Donny van de Beek and even Raphael Varane. Fresh reports out of Italy, however, now suggest that signing Sancho is not the Bianconeri's priority for January.

Instead, they will look to reinforce their attack with Domenico Berardi. The once-highly-rated Sassuolo winger was already being heavily linked with the Old Lady in the summer and was reportedly unhappy that a move didn't materialise. Sassuolo higher-ups later confirmed that talks had taken place but an agreement couldn't be reached.

The fact that Berardi is a known commodity in Serie A circles and that he likely won't command the same kind of astronomical wage as Sancho has tipped the scale in his favour. That doesn't mean that Juve won't attempt to sign him, but it does mean that they will only try if the Berardi deal proves impossible.

One door closes, another opens?

Juventus have been Sancho's most high-profile suitors so far. Saudi clubs are also interested, but the 23-year-old is reportedly reluctant to head to the Middle East at this stage. With the Old Lady potentially out of the picture, it leaves Sancho's ex-club Dortmund as one of his more realistic next destinations.

Under normal circumstances, BVB couldn't afford the man they sold for €85 million in 2021, but the news of Donyell Malen wanting to leave and Man Utd being interested in the Dutchman creates a potentially interesting scenario. Malen recently joined SEG, the agency that takes care of most of Man Utd's transfer business these days and which represents head coach Erik ten Hag.

As FootballTransfers exclusively revealed, if Man Utd manage to offload Sancho, they could make a move for Malen. Dortmund hold a tentative interest in bringing their former player back to the club, so there is the potential for a swap deal.

The Black and Yellow are demanding €30m for Malen, while Man Utd want to recoup a decent chunk of their €85m outlay. It is highly unlikely that BVB would agree to a Malen plus cash deal given Sancho's terrible form since leaving, but Man Utd may just become desperate enough to be willing to completely cut their losses and agree to a straight swap.