Borussia Dortmund director of football Sebastian Kehl has admitted “internal” discussions were held over signing Jadon Sancho for a third time this summer—but with “no state, no sheikh, no billionaire” backing the club, a deal was not financially viable.
Dortmund’s late Bundesliga surge last season secured Champions League qualification against the odds, and the associated riches, for 2025–26. Six new players have arrived to boost the squad.
With Sancho surplus to requirements at Manchester United, Dortmund were one of many clubs linked over the course of the summer. Chelsea’s decision to pay a penalty fee to cancel an obligation to buy from their loan sparked a period of major uncertainty, with Juventus, Napoli and Roma also showing reported interest.
Matching the 25-year-old’s United salary and convincing him to sign a less lucrative contract to move on permanently proved a stumbling block each time.
In the end, Sancho moved on loan to Aston Villa, who are owned by holding company V Sports—founded and owned by billionaires Nassef Sawiris and Wesley Edens. The Villans will reportedly pay 80% of the winger’s wages and with a loan fee and other bonuses in place, United at least expect to get the other 20% back.
Kehl: Dortmund Have to Earn Their Money
“Of course, we also addressed the issue internally at some point, but there must be a feasible economic framework,” Kehl told BILD, revealing the financial outlay involved proved too much for Dortmund to want to launch a formal approach.
He continued, in a potential dig at the extravagant spending seen in the Premier League: “With the transfers we have made, we have invested approximately €100 million (£86.7 million, $116.9 million) in new players, similar to last summer. But there is no state, no sheikh, no billionaire behind us. We have to earn our own money and, in the long run, can only spend what we previously earned. We have exhausted our financial possibilities for this transfer period.”
Dortmund’s spend extended to permanent transfers for Yan Couto, Daniel Svensson, Patrick Drewes, Carney Chukwuemeka and Fábio Silva, plus Chelsea’s Aaron Anselmino on loan. Around €81 million came back into the club through outgoing transfer fees.
Dortmund was where Sancho made his name after leaving Manchester City’s academy at the age of 17 in search of a better pathway into first-team football.
He returned to Dortmund on loan from Manchester United in the second half of 2023–24, helping the club reach that season’s Champions League during a mixed spell. Sancho spent last season at Chelsea but couldn’t agree personal terms to stay longer.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Borussia Dortmund’s Harsh Reality Scuppered Jadon Sancho Transfer.
