Juventus general director Damien Comolli has revealed what must happen in the transfer market for the Italian giant to sign Jadon Sancho from Manchester United.
Desperate to sell
The Red Devils are desperate to sell Sancho this summer as the 25-year-old winger has only twelve months remaining on his contract at Old Trafford. The club retains an automatic one-year extension but there is no desire from either party to do so.
United had hoped to be finally rid of Sancho after the buy obligation in his loan move to Chelsea last season was triggered by the Enzo Maresca’s side finishing fourth.
However, Chelsea were unable to agree personal terms with the former Borussia Dortmund star, as they were unwilling to match his exorbitant wage packet in Manchester, and the Blues decided to pay a £5 million cancellation fee to back out of the deal.
Sancho returned to United last month but has been made to train separately from Ruben Amorim’s squad at Carrington, along with the other four members – Antony, Alejandro Garnacho, Marcus Rashford and Tyrell Malacia – of the so-called ‘bomb squad’.
United have dropped their asking price from the £25m agreement with Chelsea down to £17m in an order to facilitate Sancho’s exit.
Juventus have been the side most strongly linked with a move with Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport contending the Oldy Lady have “an agreement in place” on personal terms with the English winger. The report states a deal is “nearly done” with United over a €23 million transfer fee (£17m).
Serie A champions Napoli were also in the running earlier in the summer while another return to Borussia Dortmund cannot be ruled out. There is also interest from the Saudi Pro League.
Juventus need to sell first
Comolli, who became Juventus’ chief in June, has appeared to pour cold water on the imminence Sancho arriving in Turin, however, stating the club would only progress with a deal if existing players were sold.
Speaking in an interview earlier this week, the executive revealed, “Sancho could become a target if we sell a winger. Right now, we have two of the best in the world, plus Nico Gonzalez, who is an outstanding player.”
Corriere dello Sport contends Gonzalez, a 23-year-old Spanish winger, is a target for Atletico Madrid and is valued at €35m by Juventus. Atlanta are also mooted as a possible destination if La Dea sell talismanic attacker Ademola Lookman.
But either way, United’s best shot of agreeing a deal to sell their winger will hinge on Juventus first doing so themselves, as their director has plainly laid out.
Featured image Richard Heathcote via Getty Images
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Darragh Fox
Darragh is a writer for The Peoples Person who spent three years as a history graduate slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about.
