Borussia Dortmund will have a new Sporting Director in charge of summer transfer plans, in the context of information that the Bundesliga team is ready to recruit Jadon Sancho for the third time when this player leaves Manchester United.
The 25-year-old striker once made a name for himself in Germany after 4 years of impressive performances in Dortmund's colors, before moving to Old Trafford for a fee of 73 million pounds in the summer of 2021. However, the English winger could not reproduce his peak form as when he played for the Ruhr team.
Although no longer valued, Sancho is still under contract with Man United after permanent transfer deals in recent transfer windows failed.
With Sancho's contract expiring this summer, the English player is predicted to leave Old Trafford on a free transfer. In that context, Dortmund is emerging as the leading candidate for his signature.
Dortmund is also undergoing major changes at the top before the transfer window. Sporting director Sebastian Kehl left his position immediately, and the German team quickly found a replacement when appointing Ole Book to take over this role.
The important change in the leadership apparatus may affect the summer transfer plan. However, Sancho's case does not seem to be affected, as head coach Nico Kovac is said to have given the green light for this deal.
According to British media, Kovac has changed his views on recruiting the winger, after not prioritizing this position last summer. However, the deal could only happen if Sancho agrees to a significant salary reduction, because Dortmund cannot meet the income of about 300,000 pounds/week that he is receiving at Man United.
Dortmund is intending to switch tactical formations to a playing style that prioritizes pure wingers. This is a system designed to maximize the potential of young talents such as Samuele Inacio or Mathis Albert, and is extremely suitable for Sancho's creative playing style.
Sancho returned to Dortmund on loan in the second half of the 2023-2024 season, after a conflict with coach Erik ten Hag before the Dutch strategist left Old Trafford.
After that, the English player continued to join Chelsea on loan with a buyout clause, but the two sides did not reach a personal agreement. In the current season, Sancho is playing for Aston Villa on loan, while Man United is said not to be renewing his contract with him.
If the deal is completed, this will be the third time Jadon Sancho wears the Dortmund shirt - the place that once helped him rise to become one of the best wingers in Europe.
Despite receiving attention from teams in Italy and Turkey, Dortmund is still where Sancho feels most comfortable. With the Bundesliga team almost guaranteed a Champions League spot next season, this is considered an ideal environment for the English star to recreate moments of sublimation, just like when he made a great contribution to helping the team reach the Champions League final in 2024.
