Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho is unlikely to join Premier League rivals Arsenal, despite the London club’s previous attempts to sign him.
This is the viewpoint of journalist Charles Watts, who spoke with Caughtoffside about the England international.
Sancho’s time at United appears to be coming to an end, and as things stand, a permanent split appears to be far more likely.
He fell out with Erik ten Hag last year after their heated argument became public. To avoid problems at Manchester United, Sancho returned to Borussia Dortmund on loan during the winter transfer window.
At Signal Iduna Park, the 24-year-old saw a slight improvement in fortunes as he helped the team reach the Champions League final, where they were ultimately defeated by La Liga powerhouse Real Madrid.
Sancho scored three goals and provided two assists in 21 games for Dortmund.
Edin Terzic’s side is thought to be eager to extend Sancho’s stay with them, but they cannot afford to match United’s asking price. The Red Devils want £40 million for the forward.
Dortmund is eager to discuss another loan deal, but United is looking for a more permanent arrangement because they need the money to fund their own recruitment drive this summer.
Fabrizio Romano recently provided an update on Sancho on X (formerly Twitter). He stated, “Manchester United believe there could be more clubs keen on signing Jadon Sancho, not only Borussia Dortmund.”
“Options from other countries are expected, and Manchester United will consider them all before deciding on the best one. Sancho is still available for an initial price of £40 million.
However, Watts believes Arsenal will not pursue Sancho in the upcoming transfer window.
The Gunners attempted to sign him when he was still with Manchester City earlier in his career, but Sancho turned them down and chose to join Dortmund instead.
Watts stated on CaughtOffside, “Given what Mikel Arteta has done with Kai Havertz, you would never rule out him being able to turn around any player’s career.”
“He’s a manager who has shown he can improve a player and get them performing at the highest level again.”
“Arsenal need another wide option in the squad and in Jadon Sancho, there is undoubtedly a high quality winger on the market this summer, with Manchester United looking to sell him, as per Fabrizio Romano.”
“Sancho gave everyone a reminder of what he can do with his performances for Dortmund while he was back in Germany on loan and I’m sure there will be plenty of interest in him on the back of that spell.”
According to Watts, “I can’t see Arsenal being one of those interested clubs, however, despite their need for a new winger.”
“The club had previously expressed interest in Sancho, when he was still a youngster at Manchester City and had not signed his new contract. Arsene Wenger was pushing for him at the time, but he chose to join Dortmund instead. And you have to say, given the trajectory of his career after leaving England for Germany, it was probably the right decision.
Sancho’s United contract expires in 2026.