Man Utd Thread:

[NAG1]

I think Haaland should have been the priority but Sancho has obviously been a target for a while.

Who hits the exit door then? Seen a few places now that they would actually let DVB go, which i think is madness but seems to be something in it.

Greenwood Rashford not going anywhere, Martial hasnt hit the form he is capable of but do they just hold them all and rotate with Cavanni?

[bigarsedkeeper]

I think Haaland should have been the priority but Sancho has obviously been a target for a while.

Who hits the exit door then? Seen a few places now that they would actually let DVB go, which i think is madness but seems to be something in it.

Greenwood Rashford not going anywhere, Martial hasnt hit the form he is capable of but do they just hold them all and rotate with Cavanni?

I can't see Martial going anywhere with the possibility of Rashford being out for the first couple of months. Of course with Amad and Dan James they have players to cover the wings without him.

Ogden reporting there's a deal nearly done with Varane. That would be massive but I still think he's staying at Madrid.

I'd like to see the Pogba circus stop one way or the other. Sign a deal or sell him this summer. Deal should include a clause that if his agent or brothers talk about a move for the first 2 years you lose a months pay. Could be known as dickhead clause.

[trailer]

#welcomesancho

[screenexile]

How much money do United have to pay City then??!!

[laoislad]

Looking like it will be Man United's title to lose next season.

[Farrandeelin]

Looking like it will be Man United's title to lose next season.

The 'battle for 4th' title? I'd take that right now to be honest. Chelsea, Liverpool and City are better I think.

[Milltown Row2]

Looking like it will be Man United's title to lose next season.

The 'battle for 4th' title? I'd take that right now to be honest. Chelsea, Liverpool and City are better I think.

The above Liverpool cup as it's called

[NAG1]

Don't worry Liverpool will have big Virgil back and all will be right again and they will romp the title 

A lot of chat about this Varane deal would be a good addition but serious wages which is apparently why RM are wanting to off load in the first place.

[bigarsedkeeper]

Don't worry Liverpool will have big Virgil back and all will be right again and they will romp the title 

A lot of chat about this Varane deal would be a good addition but serious wages which is apparently why RM are wanting to off load in the first place.

Talk yesterday was he was willing to take 350k a week. It'll be tight for him 

That's the same as Jones and Martial combined in comparison if you believe what's reported.

Still think he ends up staying in Madrid

[NAG1]

Don't worry Liverpool will have big Virgil back and all will be right again and they will romp the title 

A lot of chat about this Varane deal would be a good addition but serious wages which is apparently why RM are wanting to off load in the first place.

Talk yesterday was he was willing to take 350k a week. It'll be tight for him 

That's the same as Jones and Martial combined in comparison if you believe what's reported.

Still think he ends up staying in Madrid

Yeah they have been burned too many times in the past with players using them as a way to get a new contract with their club. I will believe if and when I see it.

Did I see yesterday somewhere its been 10 years since Phil Jones signed? That went quick, feel sorry for the lad with all the injuries he has had. Hopefully he can get a bit if fitness back and get some football somewhere.

[Armagh18]

Don't worry Liverpool will have big Virgil back and all will be right again and they will romp the title 

A lot of chat about this Varane deal would be a good addition but serious wages which is apparently why RM are wanting to off load in the first place.

Talk yesterday was he was willing to take 350k a week. It'll be tight for him 

That's the same as Jones and Martial combined in comparison if you believe what's reported.

Still think he ends up staying in Madrid

Yeah they have been burned too many times in the past with players using them as a way to get a new contract with their club. I will believe if and when I see it.

Did I see yesterday somewhere its been 10 years since Phil Jones signed? That went quick, feel sorry for the lad with all the injuries he has had. Hopefully he can get a bit if fitness back and get some football somewhere.

Yeah must be tough for him lifting 150k a week to sit on his hole.... Fair play to him he's fleeced United for millions.

[NAG1]

Don't worry Liverpool will have big Virgil back and all will be right again and they will romp the title 

A lot of chat about this Varane deal would be a good addition but serious wages which is apparently why RM are wanting to off load in the first place.

Talk yesterday was he was willing to take 350k a week. It'll be tight for him 

That's the same as Jones and Martial combined in comparison if you believe what's reported.

Still think he ends up staying in Madrid

Yeah they have been burned too many times in the past with players using them as a way to get a new contract with their club. I will believe if and when I see it.

Did I see yesterday somewhere its been 10 years since Phil Jones signed? That went quick, feel sorry for the lad with all the injuries he has had. Hopefully he can get a bit if fitness back and get some football somewhere.

Yeah must be tough for him lifting 150k a week to sit on his hole.... Fair play to him he's fleeced United for millions.

Yeah it's every young lads dream to get to the PL and then be injured for most of his career. Not his fault that he is in an industry that pays the way it does.

[trailer]

Laurie Whitwell, David Ornstein and more Jul 1, 2021 155  @ The Athletic

How Manchester United finally struck a deal for Jadon Sancho: The summit, the fee, the contract, Rashford and Woodward's roles

It was 5am when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Mike Phelan returned to their homes following defeat by Villarreal in the Europa League final but, after a few hours sleep, the pair were back in at Carrington to focus minds on Manchester United's priorities in the transfer market.

That morning, on May 27, followed a night before that had ended in massive deflation yet United staff recognised there was no time to lick wounds. Solskjaer and Phelan were joined by football director John Murtough and others, some remotely, for a recruitment meeting that ended with a clear mandate to bring Jadon Sancho to Old Trafford as promptly as possible.

The mini-summit was not an emergency reaction to the shock loss, it had been in the diary for a while, but it underlined the urgency with which United's decision-makers wanted to act this summer. Previous windows have been pockmarked by prolonged negotiations to the detriment of performance. Edinson Cavani, Bruno Fernandes and Harry Maguire each arrived at the end of three recent windows.

But Sancho will turn up for pre-season at the earliest opportunity following the European Championship, a number of weeks before the deadline for deals on August 31, and allowing Solskjaer good preparation time ahead of the new season.

As ever with United, talks have taken some time. Sources say they actually began in earnest on May 29, with chief executive Ed Woodward contacting Hans-Joachim Watzke, his German counterpart, three days after that penalty shootout pain, so the process to agreement has taken more than a month.

That is to be expected of a transfer that ranks as United's third-largest in history, even if the gradual, step-by-step walk to satisfaction on all sides has left some at the club to quip that the wider world might now be "jaded by Jadon". United actually first looked to sign Sancho in 2019, before realising the approach was too complex at that time and instead bolstered Solskjaer's wing options with Dan James.

So this has been two years in the making but as the saying goes, good things come to those who wait, and executives certainly feel United have benefited from "being patient" and "holding firm". The price agreed with Borussia Dortmund for Sancho is €85 million (£73 million), to be paid in instalments over five years, The Athletic has been told.

That equates to a saving of €35 million (£30 million) on last year's demands from Dortmund, as well as not being an immediate hit to the accounts. The £80 million fee for Maguire was transferred up front to Leicester City, as was the initial £47 million to Sporting Lisbon for Fernandes. But this deal works out at €17 million (£14.5 million) per year. That is an appealing payment plan whatever the currency.

Last summer United were privately pilloried by industry insiders after taking months to walk away from Dortmund's €120 million fixed fee, accused of playing a game of poker against a club holding all the cards. But now sources say there is a mood of "vindication" in the Old Trafford boardroom at bringing a 21-year-old of supreme ability to the club for a dramatically reduced price.


Sancho will link up with close friend and England team-mate Marcus Rashford at Old Trafford (Photo: Eddie Keogh – The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
The balance of power shifted in recent months because Sancho's contract at the Westfalenstadion, expiring in 2023, had one year less to run than the previous summer and Dortmund knew now was the time to sell to receive a significant sum. Sancho would have been of a mind to ride out his terms and depart the Bundesliga as a free agent in two years had a sale to United been denied him this time, and the German side knew this. So Watzke was open to talking and unlike last year there was to be no internal deadline.

When Woodward announced his resignation from United as the odious Super League proposal collapsed, it was unclear how much of a role he would play in transfers this window. He told some people he would step back entirely. But he has been heavily involved in this deal, as he was with Fernandes and Maguire. Once a major target gets the blessing from Solskjaer, his staff and the recruitment team, Woodward usually picks up the phone and not much has changed in that regard.

Woodward retains his bond with co-owner Joel Glazer, who was across every detail of this transfer and requested regular updates. And Woodward also has a prior relationship with Watzke from European Club Association functions, so while Dortmund directors may harbour ill-feeling over those clandestine attempts to overthrow UEFA it would have done them no good to allow any grudges to affect talks over Sancho.

Woodward and Watzke were the chief points of contact, mainly exchanging WhatsApp messages and occasionally placing telephone calls as prospective numbers were sent back and forth.

That was different to last year, when negotiations ran through Sancho's agent Emeka Obasi and independent intermediary Marco Lichtsteiner, brother to the former Arsenal and Juventus player Stephan. According to United sources, Dortmund had insisted on that means of communication, with the suspicion being that it gave the German club a degree of distance and deniability. Dortmund insiders always denied this point, and a counter-theory runs that it also suited United, who never entertained the €120 million price. A stand-off ensued.

However, this time the direct route has allowed a freer flow of dialogue. Lichtsteiner has been involved again but Obasi has only been called on for intermittent assistance, instead primarily dealing with United's head of negotiations Matt Judge over Sancho's contract, by calls and texts.

The details of Sancho's personal terms have been closely guarded, but informed sources believe that after reaching agreement last year on approximately £250,000 per week, a similar salary has been sorted again, with bonuses on top increasing possible earnings by another 20 per cent. United were mindful to keep Sancho within the current wage structure.

His terms will run to 2026, with the option for a further year, as United enjoy the prime period of a career that holds much promise. Sancho already has 50 goals in 137 senior games and Solskjaer feels he will grow to become a pivotal player for United for many seasons. Similarly, Glazer has been convinced the deal represents excellent value for money with Sancho's worth set to rise as he gets older.

Sancho's achievements to date may have perplexed England fans who feel Gareth Southgate has overlooked a special talent, but his lack of minutes at the European Championship have only strengthened United's hand. "Frankly not to our disadvantage," is how one United source described Sancho's place on the England bench. Had Sancho starred at the Euros, Dortmund could have hardened on an initial demand for €100 million and put pressure on United to get the deal done on more favourable terms. As it happened United were able to remain firm on a lower fee.

Dortmund's business model is predicated on selling assets at peak value and after the effects of the pandemic a major sale this summer will strengthen their finances.

Further affecting Dortmund's position was Sancho's mindset. He had no intention of returning to Dortmund for pre-season and if he had been obligated to there would have been a problem. There was a feeling that he and his camp had conducted themselves faultlessly throughout the process this year and last, so now it was Dortmund's turn to reciprocate.

Dortmund understood there was a tacit agreement to allow the player to leave either last year or this year but were genuinely sad to see the player go. While selling players for big money is very much part of the business model, knowing they will be allowed to leave when they want to go after a few years is also a prerequisite of signing them in the first place. With Sancho, there was always an assumption that he would go back to the Premier League eventually and Dortmund considered it part of the deal to facilitate this.

An opening bid of €78 million went in on June 11. A follow-up worth €85 million followed last week and a third offer of the same total clinched an agreement, with final discussions centred on small details around payment structure.

Some in Germany claim there are add-ons worth €15 million, with United liable for another €5 million if United win the Premier League, €5 million if the Champions League arrives at Old Trafford, and €1 million per occasion Solskjaer's side qualify for Europe's elite club competition, capped at €5 million. But multiple sources state there are no add-ons.

Still, United are not flush with cash. They have indicated there is no substantial money left for further deals, which casts doubts over a pursuit of Raphael Varane.

Dortmund tried to edge the final total to €87.5 million but the need to confirm income to reinvest in the squad became the overriding motivation and they accepted that €85 million was a realistic fee. PSV Eindhoven's Donyell Malen, the 22-year-old Dutch international, is the favourite to replace Sancho. Another PSV player, Noni Madueke, 19, who joined from Tottenham Hotspur in 2018, has also been looked at by Dortmund.

Sancho blazed a trail for young English players to go abroad in search of regular first-team football and Manchester City, who sold him to Dortmund at a 17-year-old for £8 million, are due a 15 per cent of the profits, a clause worth around £9.75 million.

City and Watford are also due solidarity payments from the deal because of the role they played in Sancho's development. It is understood these fees will be paid by United rather than Dortmund but are included within the €85 million total fee.

The solidarity payments total about £1.6 million meaning despite deductions including agent's fees, the German club still expect to clear €70 million net.

It was agreed during last year's talks that Sancho would be given the No 7 at United, but Edinson Cavani subsequently arrived to wear that shirt with aplomb. Some diplomacy may be required for Sancho to take the No 7 now.

Ironically, Cavani's decision to sign on again for another season at Old Trafford was a factor in Sancho's impending arrival. United were looking at Erling Haaland and Harry Kane before pivoting to Sancho when the Uruguayan made the need for a new centre-forward less pressing (and the huge cost of those deals became apparent).


Sancho has been preparing for this move since his club season finished, with his search for a house in the Manchester area well underway. He knows the city well, having spent two years at the Etihad, and he also has a close friend in Marcus Rashford to ask for recommendations. The pair, who like to play video games together, have been looking forward to linking up for United during downtime at St George's Park.

Last summer, amid the deadlock, Sancho jokingly pushed Rashford, "Can you ask Ed to pay the money please?" but on this occasion there has been no need for a player nicknamed "Agent Marcus" by supporters to intervene. Instead, Rashford turned transfer journalist by replying "Yes x" to a fan asking him on Twitter to "Announce Sancho" on Tuesday night.

It was a sweet affirmative that is likely to become a catchphrase to big moves, and United followers will remember its origins. Jadon Sancho: sealed with a kiss.

[Cunny Funt]

The Sancho signing was one of longest and most drawn out transfers I can recall. A money saving exercise by the board and paying it off instalments doesn't suggest they will be up front with cash for the two required signings this summer a centre back with pace and CDM.

[Armagh18]

See Heaton is back. Wonder is he coming in to replace Lee Grant or will one of Deano or DeGea leave? Still think Romero was treated disgustingly by us.