Borussia Dortmund have placed increased pressure on Manchester United by suggesting the Premier League club will be in a three-way battle with Barcelona and Real Madrid to sign Jadon Sancho if they wait until next year.
Dortmund have publicly insisted Sancho will be going nowhere this summer, though it is believed they would sell the 20-year old should United match their £100m valuation over the coming weeks. The Bundesliga club extended Sancho's contract earlier this year, in order to prevent their prized asset from leaving on the cheap this transfer window.
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This means Dortmund have been able to play hardball with United until now, and the latest claim, reported by the Mirror, will undoubtedly ruffle feathers in Manchester. The Red Devils are keen to avoid paying over the odds for the youngster, and saw a reported £60m offer rejected in July.
On the other hand, United appreciate any bidding war with Barcelona and Real Madrid would likely end in failure, with the La Liga giants having spent huge sums of cash on individual players in the past.
The wage packages on offer and prestige of playing for either club would also be difficult for Sancho to turn down and - whether or not Dortmund are bluffing with this latest statement - United would sooner do business with them without that kind of pressure.
Sancho has evolved into one of the most exciting talents in world football in his three seasons at Dortmund, having made the bold switch to Germany in 2017 in order to gain precious playing time in a top European league. His 17 goals and 17 assists last season confirmed his place among the most productive and coveted forwards in Europe.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is keen to add depth to his front line next season, with United having qualified for the Champions League in the final day of last campaign. Sancho is seen as the ideal option for the right side of United's attack, a position recently filled by the impressive but more centrally-minded Mason Greenwood.
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