Manchester United appear to be at risk of losing their captain, Bruno Fernandes, in the upcoming summer transfer window, amid interest from Saudi Arabia.
Daily Mail journalist Chris Wheeler claims that his agent has held face-to-face talks with Al Hilal over a deal to move to the Pro League, in a move that would see him earn £200m over three seasons.
The reporter adds that Manchester United would earn a fee of £100m for the 30-year-old star, who delivered 19 goals and 18 assists in all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign.
It now remains to be seen what is going to happen with the Portugal international, but he is not the only Red Devils player in another team’s crosshairs, as one of their attackers is in talks to move on.
Man Utd attacker in talks to leave
After failing to qualify for any European competition for next season, Manchester United may have to find other ways to raise funds to bring in new players to bolster Ruben Amorim’s first-team squad.
There is a deal that was put in place last summer, however, that could provide them with a cash injection, as one of their players is in talks to move on from Old Trafford.
According to Sky Sports, Jadon Sancho’s representatives are in talks with Chelsea over a move to sign for the club on a permanent basis in the summer transfer window.
The Blues want to keep the England international by going through with the £25m obligation to sign him permanently, but they are not looking to keep him on the £300k-per-week that he earns at Old Trafford.
This is why the two parties are currently locked in talks to reach an agreement on a contract that would fit the wage structure at Stamford Bridge, as they would otherwise have to pay £5m to send him back to United.
Selling Sancho, albeit it was a decision that was made last summer, could be a repeat of the howler that United had with Scott McTominay.
Why Jadon Sancho could be a Scott McTominay repeat
The Red Devils sold the Scotland international to Napoli last year and had to watch on as he scored a career-high 13 goals and won the Serie A title for Antonio Conte’s side this season.
United may now wonder whether or not they utilised McTominay’s talents effectively enough, given his career-high in goals for Napoli, and that could also be the case with Sancho.
The 25-year-old whiz, dubbed “special” by Enzo Maresca, delivered five goals and eight assists (13 contributions) in all competitions for Chelsea, which is better than his best tally of seven goals and three assists (ten contributions) in his first three seasons at United.
This shows that the English playmaker has had his best season in senior English football with the Blues, after struggling at Old Trafford for three years, and it is another case of a player thriving elsewhere.
24/25 Premier League |
Jadon Sancho |
Man United rank |
---|---|---|
Goals |
3 |
5th |
Big chances created |
6 |
3rd |
xA |
4 |
3rd |
Assists |
3.11 |
3rd |
Dribbles completed per game |
1.5 |
2nd |
Stats via Sofascore |
As you can see in the table above, Sancho’s performances at the top end of the pitch for Chelsea rank well against the current United squad, sitting in third behind Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo in creative metrics.
These statistics suggest that the England international is set to be another star who goes on to thrive elsewhere after leaving Old Trafford once this £25m transfer is official, provided the contract talks go smoothly, as he has already taken his game to another level at Stamford Bridge.
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Therefore, the Premier League giants are on course for a McTominay repeat with this deal for Sancho, which was sanctioned last summer before Ruben Amorim’s arrival.