Manchester United have made progress on departures for Jadon Sancho and Mason Greenwood as they step up plans for the transfer window following the decision to stick with Erik ten Hag.
Juventus are leading the race to sign Greenwood and are in talks with United but there is also interest from fellow Serie A side Napoli in the forward, who spent last season on loan at Getafe, where he was named the club’s player of the season.
Juventus or Napoli could also emerge as potential suitors for Sancho, with Borussia Dortmund leading the Bundesliga interest in the winger. Sancho’s fate has been sealed by the decision to stick with Ten Hag, but the club had already decided a sale was the best outcome this summer, regardless of whether the Dutchman stayed or not.
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United are working on permanent departures for both players as they seek to raise funds for the summer transfer window and could raise in excess of £60m from the pair. Greenwood won’t play for United again after the botched attempt to reintegrate the academy graduate last summer and the 22-year-old looks set for a move to Italy.
Sancho hasn’t played for United since accusing Ten Hag of lying over his exclusion from the squad for a Premier League game at Arsenal last September. He thrived after returning to Dortmund on loan in January and those performances have alerted other clubs to his availability. Sancho is keen to head back to Dortmund and the Bundesliga side are keen on a deal if they can make the financial situation work.
Progress over sales for both has been made over the past two weeks, with technical director Jason Wilcox and director of football negotiations Matt Hargreaves key players for United this summer. If a sale for a fee United deem acceptable proves to be out of reach then loan moves will be considered, particularly if they include an obligation to buy next summer.
The Premier League transfer window opens on Friday and there is a feeling United are now ramping up their plans, having concluded on Tuesday that Ten Hag would remain as the club’s manager heading into next season. Transfer targets wanted clarity on who would be in charge.
Ten Hag remains on holiday in Ibiza but having had radio silence from the club during the end-of-season review, there is a feeling at Carrington that he has swiftly reengaged with plans for pre-season and the summer having been told he is staying on. Ten Hag was busy working from the holiday island on Wednesday as he seeks to add his own input to transfer plans.
United’s priority is to sign a central defender and a striker this summer and sales will be vital to supplement a budget impacted by the absence of European football in the second half of last season and the failure to qualify for the Champions League next season.