The chance is higher that Manchester United will walk away from the deal talks that would see Jack Grealish joining the Red Devils next season. Instead, the side of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will focus on bringing Jadon Sancho to Old Trafford this summer.
Such a scenario is seen to play out following the demands made by Aston Villa - that United pay at least £75 million for the release of Grealish. It appeared that the club was emboldened when Villa ended the season with a close escape from relegation.
By staying in the Premier League for next season, Villa knew that the value of Grealish has gone up. The high asking price for the team captain seemed to indicate that the club intends to keep Grealish or they want to capitalize on his transfer to a bigger team.
However, Metro said United will likely reject the demand from Villa and spend the money instead on other priority signings.
The report added that Grealish will try to talk with Villa executives as the winger is worried that the transfer fee demanded by the club will prompt United to abandon the negotiation. But it is understood that the Villa board is unwilling to adjust and Grealish could be forced to remain with the team for at least another season.
Some reports suggested that other clubs might be interested in getting the services of Grealish and among the most mentioned is Manchester City, which could be an option for the 24-year-old in case the deal with United collapses.
Solskjaer started targeting the Villa star at the start of 2020 but it is believed that the United boss' interest has waned following the signing of Bruno Fernandes in January and the return of Paul Pogba in June. The duo combined in the Red Devils' successful run in the last few weeks of Premier League games that saw Solskjaer's side finishing third and clinching a Champions League spot.
The focus now for the United manager is to add a right-winger to his squad and the role best fits Sancho than Grealish. According to Sky Sports, United will make a move on the Borussia Dortmund ace after the club was assured of competing against Europe's best for next season.
"There's no doubt their number one target is Jadon Sancho, and I think they've ticked a massive box in having Champions League football because that's attractive to someone like him," Sky Sports' James Cooper was reported as saying.
Cooper, however, warned that getting Sancho to wear the United shirt next season will not be easy. The Bundesliga sensation is priced no lower than £110 million by Dortmund and that kind of money is hard to part with, especially at a time that all European football clubs are struggling with finances.
