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Man Utd face FFP headache as Jadon Sancho loan emerges as only option
Manchester United have been left with only one January transfer window option regarding Jadon Sancho.
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Manchester United’s precarious Financial Fair Play (FFP) position has reportedly ensured that they cannot afford to terminate outcast Jadon Sancho’s contract following his dispute with Erik ten Hag. The 23-year-old has not played for the club since publicly disagreeing with the head coach on social media in September.
There had been some questions over whether the club may look to rip up his contract if a suitor for his £200,000-a-week-plus wages cannot be found this month. Sancho is yet to apologise to Ten Hag and without doing so is likely to continue in his banishment from the first-team squad.
However, The Athletic claim that FFP constraints are so strict that United would not financially be able to pay up the remainder of Sancho’s contract, which runs until 2026. Terminating his deal would hit their FFP calculations dramatically hard as such a decision would deplete their cash reserves and prohibit the club from writing his book value down in their accounts.
With no club likely to pay a transfer fee even remotely close to the £73million that United spent in 2021 to sign him from Borussia Dortmund, and little chance of returning to the team, the club’s only option this month would be to loan Sancho out for the remainder of the season.
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There has been interest from Europe regarding a loan, as Juventus has been linked with a temporary move for Sancho and Dortmund had been mentioned in what would be a reunion at the Bundesliga club for the man with just three Premier League substitute appearances to his name this season.
United’s football director John Murtough recently travelled to Saudi Arabia and Sancho’s name was one of four that was brought in up discussions with teams in the Middle East. However, Murtough was unable to successfully negotiate a sale for Sancho or Casemiro, Raphael Varane and Anthony Martial.
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United’s dire financial situation has ensured that significant incomings are unlikely in January, despite Sir Jim Ratcliffe agreeing a deal to purchase a 25 per cent stake in the club. Loan deals are being considered more than deals that would require a transfer fee, after opting against potentially signing Harry Kane and Declan Rice in the summer.
Aside from finding a potential suitor for Sancho, United would have to agree upon any potential loan fee they would receive for him and what portion of his wage packet they are willing to pay.
United would likely encourage an option or obligation to purchase Sancho permanently at the end of any loan, but few teams in world football have the required money available to complete a deal without some compromises being made by the English team.