Transfer: Man Utd ready for Sancho pursuit

Manchester United are set to step up their pursuit of Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho as they prepare an opening offer for the England international.

United’s 2-0 win over Leicester City on the final day of the Premier League season secured Champions League qualification for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, and executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward and chief negotiator Matt Judge will now push ahead with their plans to bring Sancho to Old Trafford.

A formal bid has yet to be submitted to Dortmund, with the Bundesliga outfit valuing the former Manchester City trainee at £120 million ($154m).

Woodward has warned it will not be “business as usual” in the transfer window this summer due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, and sources have dismissed claims that United will spend more than £100m ($129m) on any player.

It is understood, therefore, that United are looking to negotiate an initial deal for Sancho worth around £80m ($103m), with add-ons then included to potentially increase the final fee.

Dortmund is willing to part with Sancho and have already started planning for life without the 20-year-old, but there will have to be compromised from both sides if a deal is to be agreed.

Jesse Lingard, whose future is in doubt at Old Trafford, believes the Dortmund star would be a good addition to Solskjaer’s side as they push to compete for the Premier League next season.

“Jadon is a brilliant player. It is obviously up to him,’ Lingard told Goal on Thursday. “I’ve seen him with England, I’ve seen his qualities and I feel like he’d be a great addition to any team.”

As well as a right-sided attacker, Solskjaer also has a midfielder and a center-back on his transfer wish list this summer, and there is an understanding at the club that they know they need to strengthen if they are going to build on this season’s third-place finish.

“There’s definitely not going to be any complacency and thinking, ‘We’ve cracked it’ because we’ve got so much to do. It’s an enjoyable journey,” Solskjaer said.

“We can see improvements but, yes, we need to make one or two – or more – very good decisions. It’s going to be an important summer, definitely.”

Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish remains among the players United are targeting while a striker who can replace Odion Ighalo once his loan move from Shanghai Shenhua expires in January may also be sought.