Sancho meets with trio of top clubs including two bitter rivals amid shock change of priorities – report

Manchester United had a summer clear-out of wantaway wingers before the window closed, and the players who left are having mixed fortunes at their new clubs. Marcus Rashford’s loan to Barcelona is working out fantastically, with the Englishman bagging six goals and nine assists in 16 games. Antony has picked up where he left off at Real Betis, who he joined permanently after an incendiary loan spell last season, with six goals and two assists in 11 matches. But it’s safe to say that Jadon Sancho is having quite the opposite experience at Aston Villa. Change of scene hasn’t helped Sancho fell completely out of favour at United under Erik ten Hag, and spent a season on loan at Chelsea. His form in London was mixed, and ultimately the Blues paid a penalty fee to get out of the obligation to buy the player at the end of the loan. Several months ago the Englishman decided to try his luck in Birmingham, signing another season-long loan this time at Aston Villa. Unai Emery had successfully helped revitalise Rashford last year but so far Sancho has been anonymous in claret and blue. The 25-year-old has featured only eight times for Villa, and is yet to score or assist for his new temporary employers. It’s an unhappy picture for the former Borussia Dortmund star, so it is no surprise that he is already planning his next move. Turkey move beckons CaughtOffside report that the player recently travelled to Istanbul where he held “discreet but meaningful” discussions with representatives from Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray, and Beşiktaş. The outlet suggests that a move to the Turkish Super Lig could happen as early as January, rather than Sancho waiting for the end of the season. The report claims that the talks took place inside a luxury hotel in Istanbul, and all three clubs presented “their sporting visions and long-term plans” to Sancho. Willing to take pay cut – up to a point Sancho has long been an outcast at United but his astronomical wages have frequently put suitors off. CaughtOffside point to “widespread” interest from teams across Europe, but notes that many have “stepped back due to the financial package required to sign him.” This gives a “competitive edge” to the wealthy Turkish sides who have “both the financial muscle and the squad structures to meet Sancho’s expectations”. His financial expectations are understood “to fall within the €8-9 million salary range”, which is less than his current United wages of more than €10m but hardly makes him a budget option. Priorities elsewhere According to CaughtOffside Sancho is looking beyond the bottom line and also has on-field expectations, apparently “prioritising the sporting project above all else.” These reportedly include “assurances of a guaranteed starting role, involvement in European competitions, and direct communication with the manager to ensure stability and clarity in his role.” It’s nice to think that the player is getting back to the basics of being a footballer, but it does feel like we’ve been here before with Sancho exit rumours. That said, holding concrete meetings in Istanbul is a bigger step than most to have been reported over the years, and with the player’s time at Old Trafford emphatically over this could be a logical next step for him. Featured image Eddie Keogh via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Joe Ponting Joe has spent more than half his life writing about football and all of it following United. As a child he told a doctor his name was ‘Paul Scholes’, but could never pick a pass like him no matter how much he tried. He cut his teeth working in print media for local newspapers and entered football journalism covering the grassroots game for the Non-League Paper. Here he achieved a career high, interviewing United legend Sir Bobby Charlton to get his views on the lower echelons of the football pyramid. To kill time during international breaks Joe writes album reviews and has strong views on post punk for Plus One Magazine.