Manchester United identify big-name alternative for Jadon Sancho

Manchester United still want to bring Jadon Sancho back to England this summer, but they’re keen on buying Ousmane Dembele if those plans fall through.

Ousmane Dembele’s big-money move to Barcelona hasn’t worked out as planned. He may be in a position to receive a summer reprieve though. If Manchester United fail in their quest to pry Jadon Sancho away from Borussia Dortmund, they plan to offer the French attacker refuge in the Premier League.

Sources tell The Athletic that United do have the transfer budget required to purchase Sancho this summer. It’s unclear at the moment just how much money that would require. Dortmund are in no mood to sell their English talisman and are making noises that a minimum of £100 million will be required to make a move happen.

It’s easy to envision a scenario where United decide that Sancho isn’t worth the fee required. That’s why the club are already working to identify contingency plans. Giving Dembele a new lease on life would certainly be a worthwhile risk for the English giants.

Saying that Dembele has struggled since moving to Spain would be a massive understatement. He’s only made five league appearances for the squad. Barcelona officials certainly hoped he would provide more than one league goal this season when they made the decision to acquire him from Celtic.

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The real question United officials need to answer is whether or not they can really expect Dembele to resurrect his career at Old Trafford. He’s got the pace and skill to fit in well with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s attacking corps. Dembele isn’t well-suited to play as a single striker, but he’d provide United excellent cover for wide players like Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial. Allowing him to start his career on the bench would give Dembele the sort of low-pressure environment he desperately needs to rebuild his shattered confidence.

Acquiring Dembele does come with significant risk though. Struggling at Barcelona is understandable, but he’s been almost non-existent. There should be serious concerns about whether or not playing for a European power is just over the 23-year-old’s head. United scouts will need to pore over his previous game film to determine whether or not they can succeed where Barcelona officials have failed.

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In the end, buying Dembele is a worthwhile gamble for a club of United’s stature. He wouldn’t cost the club anywhere near what Sancho might. Effectively, he’d be a punt on a player with a very high ceiling and a seriously low floor. He’s a good backup plan for United but the club’s focus should remain on securing Sancho.

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