Chelsea have submitted a loan offer to Manchester United for winger Jadon Sancho, according to reports, but Juventus have withdrawn from the running.
Sancho is looking more and more likely to leave United before Friday’s transfer deadline despite being welcomed back into the first-team squad by manager Erik ten Hag.
Chelsea first indicated an interest in signing Sancho in the hope that Raheem Sterling could be used as a potential bargaining chip. But while United were initially receptive to a potential swap, taking on the Englishman’s £325,000-a-week contract is not an overly attractive proposition.
The Blues appear keen to snatch Sancho regardless of whether not Sterling heads the other way, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that two loan proposals have been sent to United’s hierarchy.
The first is similar to a proposal first put forward by Juventus which included an option to buy – however Chelsea’s overall package would be worth more to United. The second is understood to contain an obligation to buy, likely dependent on performance parameters for both the player and club.
Sancho is understood to be open to the move, with the ball now in United’s court as to whether or not they want to strengthen a direct Premier League rival without sourcing a replacement.
Juventus have been keen on Sancho for a number of weeks, knowing they would need to seek a replacement for Federico Chiesa, who has now completed a move to Liverpool.
However, a report from Italian publication Gianluca Di Marzio says that the Serie A side have put negotiations over Sancho on hold.
The cost of signing Sancho, who is one of United’s highest earners, is too much for Juventus, who have opted to withdraw from proceedings and instead put their faith in Belgian starlet Samuel Mbangula. He has started the season in fine form, contributing a goal and three assists from his first two Serie A games.
