Manchester United's priority signing Jadon Sancho is proving to be a tough acquisition with Borussia Dortmund insisting the England international is not leaving Bundesliga. The Red Devils will reportedly continue chasing Sancho but they are looking for alternatives too and Ousmane Dembele is No. 1 on the list.
The start of the week seemed unfavorable to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's pursuit of Sancho. Dortmund announced on Monday that the 20-year-old winger will stay at least another season with BVB, and that the player has signed on to an extension deal that will not expire until 2023.
Metro reported that the Germans are unlikely to release Sancho, at least not easily. Dortmund said the youngster will remain with the side next season and the decision is final.
The hardline stance though is seen as Dortmund's way of pushing hard for United to pay the market value placed on the Bundesliga ace. The German club's asking price is no lower than £108 million, which United regarded as unrealistic due to the prevailing market condition.
The talks between the two sides are reportedly not progressing but Solskjaer's side is optimistic that an agreement can still be reached before the close of the summer transfer window in October.
In the meantime, the United boss is already considering alternatives in case the negotiation for Sancho's transfer collapses. The names mentioned so far included Douglas Costa of Juventus and Kingsley Coman of Bayern Munich.
However, The Mirror reported that the Red Devils are looking to La Liga for the most suitable replacement for Sancho. Said to be getting the attention of Solskjaer is Dembele, who has been struggling at Camp Nou and is thought to be on the offloading list of the Catalan giants.
Already, the two sides are engaged in "informal talks" that likely will be accelerated once it becomes official that Dortmund will not make a deal with United, the report added.
Dembele signed up with Barca three years ago coming from Dortmund but his spell at the club is best described as turbulent, mostly dominated by injury problems and disciplinary issues. The 23-year-old found it difficult to make the Barcelona first-team in his first two years and last season proved nearly the same.
Bothered by a hamstring injury, the Frenchman has yet to see playing time since November last year and will not be part of the Barca squad that will compete for the Champions League matches in Lisbon.
Still, Solskjaer is said to be keen on getting the winger to Old Trafford next season. The United boss seemed convinced that Dembele will flourish working closely with Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood, that is if Sancho will end up not signing with the club.
