Welcome to the summer silly season! And of course, you can’t say “summer transfer window” at Manchester United and not talk Jadon Sancho. The latest updates on that situation can be found here. In this post, we’re going to focus on one of the first major ripple effects that will occur when the Sancho deal is closed.
We’re talking about Jesse Lingard, a United player who fell way out of favor under manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and went out on loan to West Ham United in January. His loan spell at the Hammers was basically the polar opposite of what the past couple years at United have been like for the winger.
He was one of the Premier League’s best players in 2021, and as such the Irons want to make that loan deal a permanent one. However, the east London club apparently can’t won’t meet United’s £25m asking price and Lingard’s £110,000-a-week wage. That’s according to the Star on Sunday, who report that United are looking to extend him.
Old Trafford are looking to ink him to a new three year deal, as he currently has one season left on his current contract. Elsewhere, one of the players most strongly linked with United this summer has been Real Madrid central defender Raphael Varane.
Even when United finally close the Sancho deal, the reality will remain- centreback is their biggest area of need. Varane could fill the void, but United face competition from Chelsea, who might be more willing to meet the Spanish giants’ asking price than MUFC, potentially.
Football London report that Stamford Bridge have gotten a boost, citing:
“Spanish broadcaster Josep Pedrerol revealed on El Chingruito TV that Madrid are assuming Varane will leave the club and will accept a bid of around 60million euros (£51.8m)”
Madrid are said to be lining up a long term replacement for the Frenchman.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune.