Jadon Sancho felt undervalued by Manchester United offer, did not push for Borussia Dortmund exit
By Tushar Bahl
The Athletic report that even Jadon Sancho felt undervalued by Manchester United’s approach to a potential transfer, and was never desperate to leave Borussia Dortmund this summer.
The transfer window came to a close on Monday, and to no one’s surprise (except some Manchester United fans and the English media), Jadon Sancho is still a Borussia Dortmund player. The Athletic (subscription required) have a detailed piece on why the Premier League side failed to sign the 20 year old this summer, despite their long term interest in him.
They report that Manchester United did not believe Borussia Dortmund would stick to their guns on their price tag of 120 million euros and deadline of August 10. Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans Joachim Watzke personally phoned United at the start of the summer, and made the club’s terms and demands very clear.
But when Michael Zorc announced on August 10 that Sancho would be staying on for another season, an alarmed Manchester United director is said to have called to ask whether the statement was genuine. The Athletic claim that the response he received was along the lines of, “What did you expect? You knew the terms.”
Manchester United continued their hopeless pursuit of Sancho despite that, and yet never got near Borussia Dortmund’s asking price. They made an offer in the region of 80 million pounds in the final week of September, and it was immediately rejected by Hans Joachim Watzke.
The report also adds that the BVB bosses felt Manchester United did not take their demands seriously or were acting without ever actually wanting to complete his signing. This is in line with what Süddeutsche Zeitung reported all the way back in August, when they claimed that Manchester United would make an offer much lower than Dortmund’s asking price so they can save face in the end.
Manchester United’s approach to the transfer even left Jadon Sancho feeling undervalued, and the Athletic also report that the England international would have questioned why they didn’t bid earlier even if they had placed the right offer in the final weeks of the transfer window. Sancho was prepared to join United, but not desperate to leave this summer, and was relaxed either way.
dark. Next. Borussia Dortmund transfer window review
The article ends by claiming that Sancho long shifted his focus to a future transfer, when more clubs will likely be in the race for his signature. With just under three years left on his contract, Borussia Dortmund will be confident of having their asking price and terms met next summer. For now, they can enjoy another year with one of the world’s most talented forwards.