Pranav Nair
Ed Woodward’s row with Joel Glazer stopped Manchester Untied from signing Jadon Sancho
According to The Athletic (Subscription Required) (h/t The Express), a row between Ed Woodward and Joel Glazer prevented Manchester United from securing Jadon Sancho in the summer.
The Borussia Dortmund star was heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford in the summer. Despite United knowing what they needed to do, a deal could not be agreed upon.
With the coronavirus pandemic having hit club finances, Dortmund’s £108million asking price was deemed too much.
It would appear that Woodward was open to caving in and accepting Dortmund’s demands. He was aware that the transfer had Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s blessings and felt Sancho would thrive at United.
The prospect of watching him take the field alongside Bruno Fernandes, Anthony Martial, and Marcus Rashford would have been a sight indeed.
United’s original bid of £80m plus add-ons was rejected but Woodward was keen on upping the offer. His thoughts were not shared by Glazer and others on the United board. (h/t The Express)
They felt Dortmund’s demands were unrealistic given the financial mess the sport was going through. In the end, they got their way and the player stayed put in Germany.
A missed opportunity!
Sancho would have added more impetus to our title push this season. As things stand, Daniel James is the only specialist senior right-winger in the United squad. The Welshman is largely inconsistent and has failed to hit the levels he showed initially.
Having Sancho in our line-up would have massively boosted our chances of breaking the eight-year wait for the league title. It remains to be seen if the decision to not pursue the 20-year-old will come to haunt us in the future.
More Manchester United
- Sergio Ramos targetting a move to Manchester United next summer
- Bayern Munich hold positive talks with Manchester United target Dayot Upamecano
- Manchester United keen on Sevilla defender Jules Kounde to partner Harry Maguire
Finances were far from the only reason United did not pursue Sancho. The club was also not happy going through a third party and felt it would slow down negotiations.
In the end, it was not to be. It remains to be seen if United will go back in for the player this summer.
