Manchester United could sign talented Borussia Dortmund attacker Donyell Malen in swap deal for out-of-favour winger Jadon Sancho, according to a report by Spanish publication Fichajes.
The curious case of Sancho has been an issue that is haunting the Red Devils for quite some time now. The former Manchester City graduate did not hesitate when Manchester United came calling in 2021, moving to Old Trafford in a deal worth £73m.
Back when United signed him, Sancho was universally regarded as one of the brightest young talents in world football and arguably the biggest English talent there was. United fans had huge hopes for this signing but it’s fair to say that things haven’t panned out as expected.
Sancho had 50 goals and 68 assists in 138 appearances during his first stint at Dortmund. Unfortunately, the 23-year-old could hardly recapture that kind of form in a Red Devils jersey. He now finds himself back at the German club, on loan for the rest of the season.
Does he have a future at Man Utd?
The biggest issue that Sancho had at Old Trafford was that he fell out with manager Erik ten Hag and the duo did not see eye to eye. There seems to be no chance in the future that Sancho would consider playing under the Dutch manager.
That said, Erik ten Hag’s future at the club is far from certain considering their underwhelming campaign and the new ownership changes. Should the INEOS decide to fire the former Ajax coach and bring in a new manager, Sancho might be offered a second chance at the club.
However, as things stand, Sancho has no future at Man Utd so another exit is likely this summer and Fichajes says Dortmund sporting director Seb Kehl has outlined his plan to keep the winger in Germany.
The report says Dortmund would ideally like to extend Sancho’s loan next season, but a potential swap deal involving Donyell Malen ‘has been raised’ between the clubs. The 25-year-old Dutch forward has been strongly linked with a move to Old Trafford in recent months, so a swap deal involving Sancho could work out well for all parties.
Malen would add attacking impetus to the Red Devils and is capable of deputizing in a number of positions. In 31 games for Dortmund this season, Malen has scored 13 goals and provided four assists. Transfermarkt values Malen at around £30m but if Sancho was to move the other way, a direct player swap could be agreed between the two clubs.
Assuming Erik ten Hag was staying on as the United manager, he would love to sign his compatriot in Malen, and the duo could work out well at Manchester United. This is a transfer that has a lot of ‘ifs and buts’ about it but the 25-year-old Dortmund attacker is an interesting option for the Red Devils to explore. Let’s wait and see how it pans out.
