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Jadon Sancho transfer negotiations could resume in spring, Raphael Honigstein tells Transfer Talk

Manchester United were in discussions to sign Jadon Sancho in the previous transfer window and while a January deal is unlikely, Borussia Dortmund expect big-money offers to come for the England international in the coming months, says German football journalist.

Manchester United target Jadon Sancho is back on form - but negotiations around any potential transfer involving the Borussia Dortmund star are unlikely to take place during the January transfer window, with a summer move more likely.

That was the verdict of German football journalist Raphael Honigstein on the latest Transfer Talk podcast, following the England international's blistering return to action since the winter break in the Bundesliga.

Sancho has two goals and two assists from his last three matches but while he was United's No 1 target in the previous transfer window, Honigstein believes it will be the spring before pursuers go after the talented 20-year-old again.

"He's beginning to click again," said Honigstein on the Transfer Talk podcast. "He looks really sharp, he looks up for it.

"By all accounts, he's had a really good, small, winter break. A few days off where he's come back full of energy. And you can see it on the pitch. And I think the debates or the names being mentioned will increase again, because his form is picking up again.

"But everybody in Dortmund knows nothing will happen in January, the player is not agitating for a move, there's a very clear agreement that transfers of that magnitude at Dortmund will only happen in the summer.

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"There was a big transfer announced in January a couple of years ago. That was Christian Pulisic [to Chelsea]. But remember, even his deal was the deal for the summer.

"So no one's stopping United, if they went out, and felt really confident, to say, 'let's do this deal now, let's make sure we get in now'. And maybe then announce it at the end of January. That's inherently possible.

"We just haven't seen or heard anything to suggest that they are indeed ready and willing to come back to that negotiation at the moment. I think everyone at Dortmund is under no illusions that the player wants to leave.

"But they think that the offers and the real negotiations will start closer to towards spring when clubs are perhaps in a better position to understand how much money they'll have available for their transfer window in the summer."

Jadon Sancho has scored twice in his last two league games
Image: Jadon Sancho has scored twice in his last two league games

Money matters

Sancho's valuation, agent fees, and wages were the stumbling blocks in the summer, with Dortmund wanting far more than United were willing to pay for the deal to go ahead.

With the coronavirus pandemic impacting finances around the world of football, Honigstein says Dortmund may have to be flexible on the price, but believes the club are confident they can still obtain major money for someone who is one of the most sought after players in the game.

He said: "United are saying 'you're quoting us prices that are pre-corona prices, but come on, that's not realistic'.

"And I think there will come a point where the player will also feel that his value needs to be realistic in order for him to be able to move.

"So Dortmund cannot now come back and say, 'you know what, actually, he's had another great season, he's one year older, let's make it €160m'.

"That's not going to happen. But they want to wait, they want to see how much money will Barcelona have this year? How much money will Real Madrid spend, a club that haven't spent any money in the last two years? Are they keeping their powder dry, for a big move?

"If it's not Kylian Mbappe, maybe they're going to go after Jadon Sancho.

"So all these things make Dortmund fairly confident they can still achieve a higher valuation. But of course, it's also mixed up with him performing really well. So I don't think it's inconceivable that the price might go down a little bit, but not that much.

"And I think what's happened with Leroy Sane moving to Bayern Munich last summer for €60m, including add-ons, when he only had one year left on his contract, has kind of framed the price and documents mind because they're thinking, 'if Bayern spend €60m on a player only has one year left, we have a player that has two years left and in the summer it was still three, why should we give them away for cheap?'

"And that's still going to determine their thinking. And I think it's still going to cost a lot of money both in wages and in a transfer fee to get Sancho into your team next summer."

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