Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has made Jadon Sancho a priority signing and a legendary club figure is calling on the coach to finalize the deal real soon. Gary Neville said hiring Sancho is good even as players like Mason Greenwood are beginning to shine.
Sancho has been linked with a move to Old Trafford for months now, but the hefty price of getting him out of Borussia Dortmund appeared to have stalled the talks between the Bundesliga side and United.
Then suggestions came out in the past days that the Red Devils can pass up on the 20-year-old winger as Greenwood is more than enough for the club, which has won all of the games played since January with the young forward leading the frontline attack.
The 18-year-old has so far cleared the net 16 times in the season, but Neville said having Sancho around for the next season's campaign will not be too bad. The two youngsters playing for the same side will lead to healthy competition, and it's good for United, said the former team captain.
"Not signing a right-winger thinking [Greenwood] would be out of the team is not the right way to look at it ... Manchester United have signed great players to challenge other great players that were in positions in the past," Metro reported Neville as saying.
Pundits have reasoned that United found success in the second half of the season with the trio of Greenwood, Anthony Martial, and Marcus Rashford doing the heavy lifting on the front. They feared that bringing in Sancho to the mix will make for a crowded attacking line.
However, Neville recalled that it has been an Old Trafford tradition that the roster is brimming with talents and with players having similar strengths and skillset. But the healthy competition within resulted in players stepping up and doing great things for the club.
The former left-back said quality players are not intimidated by talented teammates. Instead, they only get better in the face of continuing challenges. Neville said he expects that Greenwood and Sancho are exploding to their full potential and winning under the United banner.
Meanwhile, the recent development that saw Manchester City overturning the Champions League ban imposed on the club should serve as a sign to Solskjaer that he must fast-track the signing of both Sancho and Jack Grealish from Aston Villa.
Express said City boss Pep Guardiola has expressed interest in the two English players and with the side now able to compete in Europe, the two might be tempted to say yes if the Catalan manager makes a move.
Sancho and Grealish are seen to move out of their respective clubs in the summers and are expected to sign with Solskjaer, but City suddenly becomes an attractive destination for the two. And that is so if United will fall short of the campaign to qualify for the UCL next season with City already assured of a spot, the report added.
