Will Manchester City challenge United for Jadon Sancho?

LEVERKUSEN, GERMANY - FEBRUARY 08: (BILD ZEITUNG OUT) Jadon Sancho of Borussia Dortmund looks on during the Bundesliga match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund at BayArena on February 8, 2020 in Leverkusen, Germany. (Photo by DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
LEVERKUSEN, GERMANY - FEBRUARY 08: (BILD ZEITUNG OUT) Jadon Sancho of Borussia Dortmund looks on during the Bundesliga match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund at BayArena on February 8, 2020 in Leverkusen, Germany. (Photo by DeFodi Images via Getty Images) /
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After tearing up the Bundesliga for yet another season, 19-year old former Manchester City academy product Jadon Sancho is clearly poised for a £100 million return to English football.

Although Manchester United have been and continue to be the frontrunners for Jadon Sancho, arguably the hottest prospect in world football, in their bid to catch up with local rivals Manchester City, the Blues have kept a close eye on the player.

United have not been the only Premier League team interested in the Borussia Dortmund star, however, with Liverpool and Chelsea also targeting the winger. City do not have a buy-back clause in his deal that saw him join Dortmund for an initial £8 million, but reportedly reserve the right to match any offer that comes from another English team.

Whether or not City will exercise that right is circumstantial, and reports have ebbed and flowed throughout the season. Given the prospects of a two-year European ban due to Financial Fair Play and the need to rebuild central defense, spending £100 million on a winger is not the ideal situation, but Sancho is poised to be one of the world’s very best, and seeing him return to sky blue would be massive for the future.

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Sancho has 13 goals and 14 assists in 20 league appearances this season, and should Leroy Sané make his long-awaited switch to Bayern Munich (although it’s an incredibly complicated saga in its own right), the club could directly reinvest the funds into bringing Sancho back to the Etihad.

Convincing the player to join City over United may be a tough sell given the European situation, but City have a much stronger recent track record of developing young talent into superstars, whereas United have seriously damaged the careers of top players such as Alexis Sánchez, Ángel Di María, Memphis Depay, and others.

In a storm of Premier League interest, Sancho is almost sure to return and will be one of the biggest names in English football for years to come. Although the future at the Etihad is far from secure at the moment, bringing Sancho back to the club is a brilliant fit on the pitch, and will send a signal that City have no intentions of going anywhere in the near future.