Manchester United are ready to give Jadon Sancho the chance to fight for his career at Old Trafford as Paris Saint-Germain are unlikely to bid for the winger.
At the same time United remain extremely interested in PSG midfielder Manuel Ugarte and are optimistic that a deal can still be struck before the end of the transfer window.
It would be a huge surprise if any deal involved Sancho, who is not currently part of PSG’s plans, with the 25-year-old having returned to United after a loan spell at his former club Borussia Dortmund.
Sancho has been brought back into the squad by United manager Erik ten Hag after the pair fell out last season leading to the player being excluded from the first-team and sent out on loan.
Ten Hag had criticised Sancho for his performance in training, sparking a reaction from the forward who claimed on social media that the manager had lied. Sancho refused to apologise then but talks were held over the summer.
Sancho has featured in five of United’s six pre-season matches and came off the bench for last Saturday’s FA Community Shield defeat by Manchester City, missing a penalty in the shoot-out.
Ten Hag has even suggested he could play Sancho as a No9 with Rasmus Hojlund injured and new £36.5 million signing Joshua Zirkzee getting up to speed.
Even so United are still open to selling Sancho, who cost them £73 million in 2021 on a five-year contract, and doing so would certainly help them balance their books in their attempts to sign Ugarte.
But Paris does not appear to be his likely destination. They have been in the market for another centre-forward but do not need another player like Sancho, already having wingers such as Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembélé.
A priority for them would appear to be selling Ugarte. The 23-year-old Uruguay international joined them only last year from Sporting. However, after PSG signed Joao Neves from Benfica this summer the need to move Ugarte on has become more pressing.
PSG do not want to accept a fee below the €60 million (£51.5 million) they paid for Ugarte but, so far, it is understood United have indicated they are only prepared to bid less than that. However there remains hope that a deal can still be struck, possibly towards the end of the window. Ugarte is keen on the move and it remains to be seen whether PSG can be persuaded to show interest in Sancho.
