On The Ball | Manchester United weighing up Ousmane Dembele gamble as Jadon Sancho price tag remains too high
- The world’s second-most expensive player has struggled with injuries but is an ‘incredible talent’
- Solskjaer also keeping an eye on teens Pellistri and Traore ahead of potential Brexit restrictions
There are four right-sided attacking players wondering if they’ll be signed by Manchester United by the time the English transfer window closes on Monday. Two, 20-year-old Jadon Sancho of Borussia Dortmund and 23-year-old Ousmane Dembele of FC Barcelona, would be signed as first team players. They would be costly.
Sancho has long been United’s number one target and Dortmund have maintained throughout that they won’t sell the Englishman for less than €120 million (HK$1 billion). United, who have long maintained that the figure is not realistic, understand that the player wants to join them.
Dembele is an alternative. We’ll come to him, but United and Barcelona have had talks about the man who became the second-most expensive player in history – only behind Neymar – when he signed for €105 million (HK$954 million) in 2017.
Dembele has only played 75 games in three seasons – 42 of them in 2018-19. United are interested in a loan – as they were with Bayern Munich’s Kingsley Coman – but Barcelona want to recoup as much of their money as they can. If there’s to be a deal then they would accept a loan with an obligation to buy. No fee has been agreed.
Penarol’s Facundo Pellistri, 18, and Atalanta’s Ahmad Traore, 18, interest United. If either come, they won’t be as an alternative to Sancho, but would join some of the talents aged 16 to 18 that have arrived since it became clear that Brexit could restrict English clubs signing players.
