Ratcliffe could do Man Utd deal with Saudis after stepping in over Sancho
Sir Jim Ratcliffe could get a helping hand from the Saudis in his reported bid to get rid of Jadon Sancho. The British billionaire is planning an attacking fire sale in January providing his bid for a 25 per cent stake in Manchester United gets the green light from the board.
According to the Sun, Sancho, Anthony Martial and Antony could all get the boot after struggling to find their feet at Old Trafford. United’s second most expensive signing of all-time Antony, who joined the Red Devils from Ajax for £82million in the summer of 2022, is yet to register a goal or assist this season following a woeful maiden campaign last season.
Meanwhile, Martial has seen a rapid decline in form over the past few years of a career marred by injuries. Sancho has also never lived up to his potential in Manchester’s red during a dismal two-and-a-half-seasons at the club.
The Englishman was recently exiled from the first team after refusing to apologise to manager Erik ten Hag following a social media bust-up over his performances in training. Both Sancho and the club are desperate to cut ties, and luckily for everyone involved, there appears to be a clear route to getting that done.
The Telegraph claims that Sancho, along with Tottenham forward Richarlison, are subject to interest from the Saudi Pro League in January. Both players had been enquired about by Saudi Arabian clubs over the summer but the United forward showed no interest in moving to the Middle East while Spurs insisted Richarlison was not for sale.
Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq were among the clubs interested in acquiring Sancho’s services and Al-Ittihad were keen on bringing in Richarlison. Sancho’s stance will have surely changed since being demoted to the Under-21s but it is understood that his preference is to move back to Borussia Dortmund.
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The Bundesliga giants could make room for him in their side if the price is right. Man Utd favour a permanent deal but are open to letting him go out on loan if they are financially compensated.
However, Sancho’s staggering £350,000 a week wages could prove to be a stumbling block in the deal. The only clubs that are likely to be willing to provide the 23-year-old with a similar salary are those in Saudi Arabia.
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