Manchester United are refusing to give up on Jadon Sancho – despite Borussia Dortmund insisting he is going nowhere this summer.
Dortmund appeared to slam the door shut on £100million-rated Sancho's proposed move to United by extending his contract and declaring he will play for them next season.
But United, although frustrated with Dortmund's stance and unwillingness to budge from their £100m valuation of the forward, have not given up hope of signing Sancho this summer.
The two clubs are still far apart in terms of what 20-year-old Sancho is worth, with United willing to pay £80m for him, believing that to be a fair price in the post-Covid transfer market.
There is also a major hurdle to overcome in terms of Sancho's personal terms, with United determined not to repeat their mistakes of the past when it comes to over-paying players.
United are still smarting from their disastrous signing of Alexis Sanchez on £500,000-a-week, with the Reds having had to pay him around £10m to terminate the remaining two years of his deal.
Against that backdrop, United are unwilling to pay Sancho the £300,000-a-week demanded by the player's representatives, which is another huge stumbling block in terms of completing the deal.
Another frustration for United has been Dortmund's refusal to deal with them directly, the German club instead choosing to use an intermediary, Marco Lichtsteiner, to negotiate the deal.
United would prefer to be able to conduct talks directly with Dortmund, but the use of a go-between, combined with the issues over the fee and wages, means any deal is some way off.
Sancho jetted off with Dortmund to Switzerland yesterday for a pre-season training camp, with sporting director Michael Zorc claiming he is going nowhere.
“We plan on having Jadon Sancho in our team this season, the decision is final,” said Zorc.
“I think that answers all our questions.
"Last summer, we adjusted Jadon's salary to match the development of his performances, so in that context, we had already extended his contract until 2023 back then."
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