Jadon Sancho savaged by Saudi Pro League transfer chief

Stuart Telford

• Updated: 16 Dec 2023 16:19 GMT
• 3 min read

Saudi transfer chief Michael Emenalo has said the Pro League "isn't a dumping ground" in response to speculation that Jadon Sancho could swap Manchester United for the Middle East.

Sancho looks to have played his last game for Manchester United after publicly undermining manager Erik ten Hag in September, and a number of clubs have since been linked with a move for the winger.

Juventus, former employers Borussia Dortmund, and more than one club from Saudi Arabia were understood to be interested, although the European pair have recently distanced themselves from such speculation.

Sancho reportedly has no intention of moving to Saudi Arabia with the best of his career presumably ahead of him at 23, but it now appears his would-be suitors out there aren't so keen after all…

Emenalo: 'I don't want to minimise Sancho's importance…'

"We can't discuss specific targets with respect to the parent clubs and also for the player himself," Emenalo told Sky Sports News. "We also don't want to be regarded as a dumping ground for players that didn't work [out] in other clubs.

"We have to look carefully at what our clubs require. We'll work closely to make that happen. I don't want to minimise the quality or importance of a player like Jadon…"

Al-Ittihad and Al-Ettifaq were reportedly Sancho's two most likely options in the Saudi Pro League, but he turned them down in the belief that he might outlast Ten Hag at Old Trafford - and the Dutchman's position is now growing increasingly tenuous.

Sancho has largely disappointed at United since his €85 million arrival from Dortmund in July 2021, returning just 12 goals and six assists across his 82 games in all competitions to date.

He is now valued at just €33.2m by FootballTransfers' in-house algorithm, which would prove a relative snip for Saudi clubs, but whether they and Sancho want each other is another matter entirely.