Chelsea are ready to pay Manchester United to get out of their obligation to sign Jadon Sancho, it has been claimed. The on-loan star made a fast start to life at Stamford Bridge, but his output in recent months had put a permanent deal in jeopardy.
Under the terms of their loan deal for the winger, a Premier League finish of 14th or higher would require the Blues to fork out up to £25million to sign Sancho permanently. However, the agreement included a clause whereby they could pay United a seven-figure sum to back out.
Sancho has three goals and five assists for Chelsea this season, but none of either since January 4. He also set up two goals in a Conference League win against Heidenheim in November, but wasn’t able to contribute a goal or assist in the 83 minutes he played across two knockout legs against FC Copenhagen.
According to The Sun, the magic number required for Chelsea to get out of their obligation to buy is £5m. The same publication indicates the London side are ready to do just that, with a number of options for their wide roles next term.
In addition to the likes of Pedro Neto and Noni Madueke, both of whom have picked up plenty of minutes this term, the Blues have Estevao Willian arriving from Palmeiras and Geovany Quenda on his way from Sporting. They also have eyes on Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens, who featured in all 10 European Championship qualifiers for England’s Under-21 side.
The same report notes that Gittens’ potential move to Chelsea could see Carney Chukwuemeka move in the opposite direction. Dortmund are said to have an option on Chukwuemeka, who joined on loan in January and scored his first Bundesliga goal over the weekend.
Sancho enjoyed a fruitful Dortmund spell himself last season before Chelsea took a chance at the end of the summer transfer window. Blues boss Enzo Maresca spoke highly of the winger’s efforts in the early part of his spell in West London, but was non-committal when it came to what might happen beyond this season.
“All the players that are with us, I love all of them, but in this moment it’s the moment to finish well and then it’s not the moment to think about next season,” Maresca said in the lead-up a pair of London derbies against Tottenham and Brentford. Sancho started both games, but wasn’t involved in the one goal the team scored across those 180 minutes.
“I’m completely focused about nine games, two months to go, I’m completely focused about that,” Maresca added ahead of that Spurs game. “Then what happens in summer, we’ll see. But all the ones that are here, I want them happy to be here.”
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