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Wednesday 30 September 2020 13:52, UK
Manchester United have had a bid for Jadon Sancho worth up to £91.3m (€100m) rejected by Borussia Dortmund.
The offer was for an initial £73m, rising to up to £91.3m, which fell short of Dortmund's £108m valuation.
Sancho has not flown with the rest of the Dortmund squad for the German Super Cup in Munich against Bayern due to a "respiratory infection". He has tested negative for Covid-19.
A bid was expected from the Premier League club this week, but all of the noises coming from Dortmund would suggest Sancho is staying in Germany.
Earlier on Tuesday, Dortmund captain Marco Reus told Sky in Germany Sancho is staying for one more year.
United have not given up on trying to sign the 20-year-old, despite missing the August 10 deadline the Bundesliga club had set for the deal to be completed.
Despite the Dortmund hierarchy stating on several occasions - both before and after the deadline - that if it was not met Sancho would remain with the club, rumblings have continued over United submitting a bid before the transfer window closes on October 5.
United made a breakthrough in negotiations with Sancho's representatives earlier this month, with wages and agents fees no longer thought to be an issue for the Premier League club.
However, on September 23, Dharmesh Sheth told The Transfer Show Borussia Dortmund had been left "bemused" by United's attempts to sign the England forward.
United's only signing of the window so far has been central midfielder Donny van de Beek from Ajax, but manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has suggested the club are still hoping to do more business.
If United do manage to agree a deal for Sancho with Dortmund, it could have an impact on England's preparations for October's international fixtures.
With the Premier League's transfer window closing on Monday, United's pursuit of the winger could extend into Deadline Day - the same day in which England's squad are expected to arrive for duty.
If Sancho is required to leave England's secure eco-bubble to undergo a medical, he would not be allowed to return, according to UEFA's coronavirus protocols.
Gareth Southgate and his staff will want to limit disruption to their preparations, given how little time they have had to work with their players in recent months.
An alternative to Sancho having to leave the camp could be to allow a small group of medical staff from United into the England bubble to conduct the tests.
This would be within UEFA's rules as staff from Premier League clubs are regularly tested for coronavirus.
Football writer Andy Mitten has been questioning Manchester United's waning power in the transfer market and says they have lost the ability to do the "dark arts of transfers" with fans receiving "mixed messages" about the club's financial position.
"It's very frustrating for fans and they've seen just one player come in so far," Mitten told Sky Sports News.
"I don't think anyone has the same pulling power as Sir Alex Ferguson but to be fair to Ole, he's been putting calls in and I know he's spoken to several managers about players who he likes."
Read the full article here.
Gary Neville has had some strong words concerning United's recent transfer policy.
After their 3-1 loss to Crystal Palace in their first game of the season at Old Trafford, he told the Gary Neville Podcast that his former club could miss out on a top-four spot if they failed to bring in some new faces.
Read the full article here.
The summer transfer window closes at 11pm on Monday October 5 with a feast of activity lined up on Transfer Deadline Day on Sky Sports News and across our Sky Sports platforms.
A domestic-only window for deals between the Premier League and EFL then runs from October 5 and closes on Friday October 16 at 5pm. Follow all the news and analysis on SSN and across Sky Sports' digital platforms, including with our dedicated Transfer Centre blog.
