All signs indicate Jadon Sancho remains a priority summer signing for Manchester United but the Borussia Dortmund star seemed to become more unreachable as the summer transfer window draws to a close. The Red Devils though have a backup plan - lure Ousmane Dembele away from Barcelona if Sancho will prove elusive.
The latest reports said the transfer talks between United and Sancho's camp continued this summer but Dortmund's insistence on the £108 million transfer fee is putting a drag on the negotiation. To date, there is no formal offer from Old Trafford that the demand will be met.
According to Goal, a formal bid from United has yet to reach the Bundesliga side, which should indicate that BVB's pricing of the 20-year-old midfielder is still unrealistic as far as the Premier League giants are concerned. And it seemed to be shaping up that the October 5 deadline will pass and an agreement will not be reached between the talking parties.
That being the case, United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is said to be ready to scoop up possible alternatives, and top of his list is Dembele, who reportedly was marked by new Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman for sale.
If the Germans will continue on their hard stance on Sancho, Dembele will be tapped by Solskjaer instead but it is understood that a move on the 23-year-old will not be pushed until it has been ascertained that the deal on Sancho is closed for good.
Eyeing Dembele makes sense for United as the World Cup winner continues to struggle on winning a spot in Barcelona. The French winger will need to compete against Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmann, and Ansu Fati to break into the Barca first-team. And it was clear from the get-go that Dembele is not on Koeman's priority list.
So selling the Barcelona man is becoming an option that interests United, and according to Metro, a deal on Dembele is approaching conclusion. It is believed that initially, the agreement between the two European giants is for a loan deal with a possible buy option.
However, Barcelona appeared to be more bent on sealing a permanent transfer that will only cost United between £46 and £54 million, which is a bargain considering the caliber of Dembele. Koeman is thought to be pushing for the sale as the cash inflow will be used to fund the acquisition of Memphis Depay from Lyon.
Before proceeding, however, in completing the deal on Dembele, Solskjaer is advised to take into consideration the player's inability to shine in Camp Nou since joining up in 2018. The Frenchman failed to impress though his spell with the Catalans has been marred by injury struggles.
