Chelsea Sancho snub set to cost Manchester United £35m
Chelsea have opted to pay a £5m penalty fee rather than make England winger Jadon Sancho’s loan move from Manchester United permanent this summer.
Sancho scored five goals and contributed 10 assists in 41 appearances for the Blues but failed to establish himself as a regular starter in the Premier League.
Chelsea would have had to pay £25m to complete the transfer but have decided against it, despite still having to shell out the penalty fee.
Sancho faces an uncertain future at United, where he has also failed to replicate the form he showed at Borussia Dortmund which led them to buy him for £73m in 2021.
The 25-year-old has 12 months left on a contract reported to be worth £300,000 a week, a wage that may make him difficult to move on.
With United missing out on £20m from Chelsea and remaining saddled with his £15.6m salary, Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s hard-up club faces taking a hit of more than £35.5m.
Manchester United tipped to sell stars
The Old Trafford have made losses totalling more than £300m in the past three years and hopes of reversing that trend have been hit by their failure to qualify for the Champions League.
Despite that, United have already splashed more than £60m on Wolves forward Matheus Cunha and are keen to sign Brentford’s £50m-rated Bryan Mbeumo.
Sales are expected as manager Ruben Amorim remodels the squad, with winger Alejandro Garnacho tipped to leave and most of the squad said to be available.
Antony’s outstanding performances on loan at Real Betis are likely to help find a buyer, while Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Hojlund have also been linked with exits.
Ratcliffe has embarked on a programme of savage cost-cutting since taking charge of football operations following his minority investment 18 months ago.
Former manager Sir Alex Ferguson has lost his £2m-a-year ambassadorial role, while the club has made hundreds of redundancies and closed a staff canteen.