Jadon Sancho's proposed transfer to Manchester United appears to be off after Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc confirmed that the German club are no longer looking to sell their prized asset.
England international Sancho has been linked to a move to the Manchester club for a fee which would likely rival the club record transfer of Paul Pogba to Old Trafford from Juventus in 2016, with the player being identified by Ole Gunnar Solksjaer's scouting team as a key piece in the Norwegian's rebuild.
However, United's window shopping appears as if it won't bear fruit after Zorc announced to the media on Monday that they have decided to keep the 20-year-old forward, who remains under contract until 2023, after Manchester United failed to meet the German club's August 10 deadline to strike a deal.
"We plan with Sancho," Zorc said Monday. "He'll be playing with us next season. The decision is final. I think that answers all questions."
Borussia Dortmund's Michael Zorc: "We plan with Sancho. He'll be playing with us next season. The decision is final. I think that answers all questions." #BVB#MUFC
#Zorc weiter: „Wir haben bereits im letzten Sommer das Gehalt an die Leistungsentwicklung von Jadon angepasst. In dem Zusammenhang haben wir den Vertrag bis 2023 verlängert.“ pic.twitter.com/nV89jHgbJu
The news will come as a blow to the United hierarchy who have been linked with the English prodigy for several months and had earmarked the player as a crucial cog in Solksjaer's team who rallied towards the end of the Premier League season to claim a third-placed finish.
Zorc's stance, though, has been seen before. He announced similar measures when Barcelona were open suitors for Ousmane Dembele and even conducted similar business with Manchester United over the transfer of Henrikh Mkhitaryan in 2016.
In Dembele's case, the move to the Catalan giants was hastened when the player made obvious his desire to leave the club - potentially forcing Sancho's hand into handing in an official transfer request.
At this point in the transfer saga, it is unlikely that United and their executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward will throw in the towel just yet – but it seems as though the club may have to abandon any stance they might have had about obtained Sancho in a cut-price deal amid the downturn in the footballing economy amid the Covid-19 health crisis.
It is understood that Dortmund are seeking a fee in the region of £100 million ($131 million) before they sign off on any deal.
Manchester United, who face Copenhagen in the Europa League quarterfinal on Monday evening, are reported to be considering other targets.
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