Transfer fixer drafted in with Man Utd closing on 'one of the most complex deals of the summer'

The sale of Jadon Sancho from Manchester United to Juventus is finally entering the endgame, with a well-respected transfer negotiator brought in to finalise an arrangement which reports in Italy state have been going on for a year.

The winger moved to Old Trafford in a highly-publicised £73m move from Borussia Dortmund in summer 2021, ending a two-year chase by Manchester United at the time. And while the player showed fleeting glimpses of his talents in his first season, his time at the club soon began to unravel when Erik ten Hag was appointed as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s successor.

Having been sent out on loan on two occasions – the second of which was a season-long spell with Chelsea last season – it soon became evident that Sancho‘s days at United were over.

But when Chelsea reneged on their obligation to make his move permanent – paying United a £5m penalty in the process – Sancho has found himself back at square one and left facing an uncertain future.

Talks over a move to Juventus, however, soon presented themselves as a firm and the player’s most likely option.

And while it has emerged that United are prepared to sacrifice an enormous portion of their initial investment for the 23-times capped England star – talk of the initial deal only being worth €10m (£8.6m, $13.4m) and that a deal was close to being finalised – were soon batted away by David Ornstein.

“Jadon Sancho has been heavily rumoured to be closing in on a move to Juventus. That is not accurate as I understand it at all and I’m not quite sure where that’s emanated from,” Ornstein told The Athletic.

However, a fresh update in Saturday’s Corriere dello Sport now claims an agreement to bring the winger to Turin is close and that Juventus’ desire to sign the player had not been diminished.

And in an attempt to grease the wheels, the paper claims ‘one intermediary hired by Manchester United has emerged in the city: Matthew Conning, a transfer operator who, along with the player’s large team, is handling one of the most complex transfers of the summer.’

Furthermore, clarification on the fee Juventus are willing to pay has also emerged, while there are also details on the salary Sancho has agreed to move to northern Italy….

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Juventus near Jadon Sancho deal as Amorim speaks out

With Sir Jim Ratcliffe having made it clear that Sancho needs to be sold this summer and with director of football Jason Wilcox seeing his departure as a vital next step towards United’s own summer recruitment plans, talks with Juventus are now understood to have gathered pace.

And while there is still no agreement over the fee, Corriere dello Sport reports that Juve are offering €18-19m (up to £16.6m, $22.3m), which falls short of United’s €25m (£21.9m, $29.4m) demand.

Talks over finding that common ground are now, though, moving forward with some clarity and it is hoped that with the appointment of Conning, a final agreement between the parties can soon be reached.

In the meantime, our transfer correspondent Rudy Galetti revealed how Sancho has already agreed a salary sacrifice to help facilitate the move.

Reporting on July 17, Galetti revealed that a preliminary agreement has been reached with Sancho for a four-year contract, worth around €6million (£5.2m, $7m) per season plus bonuses. That equates to around £100,000 a week – a significant drop on his current £250,000 a week package at Old Trafford, which places the player significantly up on United’s highest earners table.

Those claims have now been corroborated by Corriere dello Sport, who add that “while waiting for a breakthrough [with United], Juventus ironed out the details with Sancho, reaching an agreement with the winger on a contract worth €6 million net plus bonuses until 2030.”

Sancho is one of several players who could follow Marcus Rashford in moving on this summer with Tyrell Malacia, Alejandro Garnacho and Antony also on the chopping block.

Now, Amorim has detailed the situation in which each can stay.

He said: “There are different reasons for the players. Some players have to find a new place to have more space in the team and other players clearly show they want a new challenge and want new teams. We are just allowing these players to have time to think and to decide.

“If we reach a point where they have to join the team, they will join the team because they are our players. I know for a fact, these people, Omar [Berrada], Jason [Wilcox] and the club, have a number for these players. If they don’t reach that, they will be Manchester United players, no doubt about that.

“I understand that clubs are waiting for the last minute but they can have a surprise. I’m ready to receive the players, they have more competition, more competition. If you want to play in the World Cup next year you need to play.

“So I’m really happy with that because I have more options. If they have to fight each other to play, for me it’s perfect.

“In any team, if you see the best teams in the world, you feel the bond between all the players and that is really important. Then I think we need to remind ourselves how special it is to be at Manchester United.

“That is my feeling, it’s the best club in the world and it should be for everyone on the pitch and everyone at the club and I really like that feeling. I really like to be in a group that is healthy.”

Man Utd transfer latest: Ratcliffe sours on Emi Martinez; striker hunt takes turn

Meanwhile, Ratcliffe is reported to have put his foot down after cancelling a planned move for Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez for two reasons – leaving a determined Amorim to settle on a new top choice to join United as a new goalkeeper this summer.

Elsewhere, United’s hunt for a new striker has taken a turn after it emerged that Newcastle United are ready to make a bid for a prized striker that Christopher Vivell personally wants to sign, according to Fabrizio Romano.

On the departures from, a former Liverpool striker has ripped into Manchester United for the loan deal they have struck with Barcelona for Rashford, saying that the forward should be playing for Blackburn Rovers or Norwich City, as Brazilian legend Rivaldo gives his honest verdict on the England international.

Why Juventus want Jadon Sancho

Sancho’s stats from his loan spell with Chelsea

By Samuel Bannister

Sancho has been searching for the next step in his career after Chelsea rejected the chance to keep him, and Man Utd showed no intention of reintegrating him.

For a player who moved to Germany at the age of 17, a move abroad won’t be too daunting. But what is it about the Juventus route that makes it one of his most-discussed potential outcomes?

Juventus have been in transition over the past 12 months. They thought they were moving into a new era with Thiago Motta last summer, but struggled to kick into gear under the ex-Bologna coach. He was replaced by Igor Tudor in March.

Although his position wasn’t certain to start with, Tudor now has a summer to implement his ideas along with the new general manager, Comolli.

Tudor switched Juventus’ shape to a 3-4-3 formation for the most part last season. Taking on the form of a 3-4-2-1, it allowed the supporting attackers to play closer to the main striker.

Sancho made his name as a winger, but has indicated a preference for playing as a no.10 before. The current Juventus system could offer him the best of both worlds.

One obstacle he will have to overcome is his ability in getting past players. Last season, he completed fewer than half of his attempted dribbles for Chelsea in the Premier League. In Serie A, he could come up against some compact systems, where he would have to show more intelligence to create chances.

Crossing was also a significant struggle for Sancho last season, but a role as an attacking midfielder would lessen the pressure for him to produce moments like that. He would instead have more of an emphasis on technique and pace.

There have been a lot of success stories with players moving from Manchester United to Serie A in recent years. Scott McTominay won the Scudetto at the first time of asking with Napoli last season, while Chris Smalling earned a strong reputation with Roma, winning the 2021-22 Europa Conference League.

European football has suited Sancho before with his time at Borussia Dortmund, but only time would tell how he would adapt to Serie A.

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