Manchester United are determined to sign Jadon Sancho this summer, via Manchester Evening News.
The Red Devils have been linked with the Borussia Dortmund star for a while now, stemming all the way back to Jose Mourinho’s turbulent time in charge of Old Trafford.
Sancho has reportedly told Dortmund that he wants to leave Germany and return to England, according to ESPN. However, while club legends like Rio Ferdinand and Louis Saha have all backed Ed Woodward to bring him home, there are a number of reasons why Man United shouldn’t sign Sancho in the summer.
Contrary to popular belief, the problems are not at the attacking end of the pitch, but rather lie at the back. United have shockingly conceded five more goals than Premier League newcomers Sheffield United and nine more than league leaders Liverpool.
Victor Lindelof has never looked particularly convincing next to Harry Maguire as the Swede has received a below-par WhoScored rating of 6.67 overall. Meanwhile, Eric Bailly has only played 282 minutes of competitive football this season after recovering from a career-threatening injury.
Furthermore, Nemanja Matic is the only specialist in the defensive midfield role, which is a cause for concern as the ageing veteran is surely entering the twilight of his career.
Should Man United sign Sancho?
Yes
No
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer currently has a wealth of attacking options at his disposal, including Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Bruno Fernandes, Odion Ighalo and Mason Greenwood, to name but a few.
Although some fans will argue that United are relatively low in the goalscoring charts, it is worth remembering that Rashford, who is the club’s top scorer this season, scored 14 goals in 22 Premier League games before succumbing to a back injury.
Any good manager will acknowledge that the defence is just as important as the attack and Solskjaer has key areas that he needs to urgently address, namely a new centre-back and defensive midfielder.
United will probably have to pay a club record fee for Sancho if they want to buy him in the upcoming window, as Dortmund are refusing to drop their valuation, which means the board will most likely have to pay more than £100m. Bearing this in mind, Woodward could buy both Wilfred Ndidi and Kalidou Koulibaly for far less instead, which may solve the issues at the back.
Can Ole get the best out of him? it is too early to say at the moment, as Solskjaer’s side are currently fifth in the table, three points away from Champions League qualification.
Moreover, the executive vice-chairman has previously warned that United’s summer spending may be limited due to the financial repercussions of the coronavirus crisis. It may be better to come back for Sancho in a year’s time when the volatile market will (hopefully) have stabilised.
As it stands, the Red Devils are seemingly no further forward and fans will have to wait and see what deals can be made in these unprecedented circumstances.
United fans, do you think the board should sign Jadon Sancho in the summer? Let us know in the comments below!
About the Author
