Mino Raiola recently said only four English clubs can afford Erling Haaland. The same is true of Jadon Sancho, but just two of those Premier League clubs need to sign him.
The Sancho saga has been ongoing for a couple of transfer windows now. Last summer, the price tag was too high and Manchester United, who were the favourites to sign him, wouldn’t rise to the asking price.
Although the Red Devils will be the favourite to land the England international, Liverpool may be in need of the winger more. And while Chelsea and Manchester City have the financial capacity to pull off a deal, the two clubs in red are needing a player of Sancho’s quality more.
Jadon Sancho Can Be This Summer’s Most Important Premier League Signing
Manchester United and Liverpool Must Break the Bank
While Manchester City and Chelsea could afford to bring in one of football’s most exciting prospects, it would make little sense for them to try.
For Manchester United and Liverpool, though, Jadon Sancho can be a transformative signing. Bringing him in could not only make each side much stronger but also stop their biggest from rivals getting an edge on them.
As the Englishman recently became the first Bundesliga player to reach 50 assists in less than 100 games (data collection of assists began in 1988), we look at why two of the Premier League’s biggest clubs need to fight for his signature.
Sancho is Worth the Money
The 20-year-old has been breaking records this season. He became the youngest player to reach 50 assists and the youngest player to reach 35 goals in Bundesliga history earlier this year.
Sancho has become an established and important player for his country, having already represented England’s senior team 18 times.
Despite suffering a dip in form at the beginning of the season Sancho has shown in recent months why he is so highly rated by his club.
Jadon Sancho adds another goal to his tally and gets his 50th Bundesliga assist. Outstanding! 🌟 pic.twitter.com/d5UzUkuEAi
— Bundesliga English (@Bundesliga_EN) February 27, 2021
In recent games, such as the 4-0 dismantling of local rivals Schalke, and the 3-2 victory in Dortmund’s Champions League clash in Seville, Erling Haaland stole the headlines. Sancho performed brilliantly despite not being noticed by as many.
Sancho has been given more than seven out of ten ratings in every game in 2021 (except a 6.58 against Freiburg) by whoscored.com. He has five goals and five assists in his last eight games. The winger is once again proving he is already good enough to make a massive difference for United or Liverpool.
Best Time to Buy
Dean Jones reported that Dortmund are likely to accept a lower bid than their reported asking price of €120 million last summer. Sport1 has also reported this, which is due to several financial issues the club is facing.
The Ruhr side currently sits sixth in the Bundesliga, as their recent form has been underwhelming. They face a considerable threat of playing no Champions League football next season, maybe even no Europa League football.
The club has been operating with few or no fans at the Signal Iduna Park for a year, with no end to that lack of income expected any time soon. Having sacked Lucien Favre and appointed Marco Rose, the club’s financial losses of €26 million from the first half of this season will likely get worse by the end of the season.
With Sancho being of such high value to English clubs, and his intention to return to England at some point obvious, there is no doubt selling him is an option the club will be open to. It seems certain the club would want to sell Sancho before his current contract (which ends in 2023) is finished, as the prospect of him extending his stay beyond then is unlikely.
Sancho Makes Sense for Both Clubs
As a young English star who is a perfect fit for both clubs commercially, this signing makes sense.
He fits the need of both squads as well, as Liverpool looks to freshen their front three with a potential exit for Sadio Mane, Mohammed Salah, or Roberto Firmino this summer on the cards. Sancho fits the inverted winger profile which Mane and Salah have and can play on either side.
United need a right-sided attacker good enough to make the difference in big games while Amad Diallo and Daniel James continue to improve. They need another player to make that difference when Bruno Fernandes isn’t at his best, with Paul Pogba potentially leaving the club this summer.
As Sancho is unlikely to be available at such a low price after this summer, both clubs need to go for him now. It could then become a battle between each other for his signing.
This season would suggest the two sides are reasonably close in terms of quality. While Liverpool are the champions of England, there are major issues within the squad while United are showing signs of improvement under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. This summer can be a decisive factor in who can compete with Manchester City soon.
While buying Sancho gives both sides a boost in quality that could see them move close to the top of the Premier League, it also takes a potentially transformative signing from their rivals.
Either club can take an important step ahead of the other this summer by signing Sancho.
Main Photo
