Chelsea’s pursuit of Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho has received a huge boost, following Juventus’ decision to withdraw from the race, Soccernet.football reports.
Despite being reintegrated into the first-team squad by manager Erik ten Hag, Sancho could still leave United before Friday’s transfer deadline.
Juventus were initially interested in acquiring Sancho on loan to replace Federico Chiesa, who recently moved to Liverpool but according to reports from Italian outlet Gianluca Di Marzio, the Italian giants have paused negotiations over Sancho.
Chelsea have also expressed interest in signing Sancho and are considering including a player in the deal. Raheem Sterling is their preferred option for a swap, but while United may be open to this arrangement, Sterling would likely require significant compensation to walk away from his £325,000-a-week contract.
The cost of signing one of United’s highest earners in Sancho has proven too much for the Old Lady, leading them to withdraw from the pursuit of the England international.
The Italian giants are instead looking to place their trust in Belgian youngster Samuel Mbangula, who is emerging as a breakout star this season with one goal and three assists in his first two Serie A matches.
This development leaves Chelsea as the frontrunners for Sancho’s signature, with Sky Sports reporting that a deal with United is close to being finalized.
The structure of Sancho’s potential move to Stamford Bridge is still under discussion, with both permanent and loan options on the table.
Chelsea might need to offload a player before completing the Sancho deal, but negotiations over Sterling’s departure appear to have come to a dead end.
