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 gap between United and Borussia Dortmund on just how much the two clubs believe he;s worth seems to be shrinking.
First Dortmund dropped their price, and United have since raised their bid, meaning we’re getting closer to seeing this deal finally get done. One person who is inadvertently helping United out in the negotiation process is England manager Gareth Southgate. The Three Lions boss has not granted Sancho a single minute of playing time at the Euro 2020.
Jadon Sancho didn’t even make the bench for the Euros opening win over Croatia, and it’s difficult for Dortmund to keep holding out and remaining steady on their very high valuation while this is going on. England have really struggled in attack, especially their talisman Harry Kane, and yet Sancho is still not getting a run.
Asked specifically about Sancho playing tomorrow against the Czech Republic, Southgate replied: “We’ve got some explosive options and a lot of them are young players and experiencing a big tournament for the first time.
“So as a coaching staff we are realistic about our expectations of them as individuals.
“Jadon Sancho is in that mix. He’s trained well the last few days and of course we have got those options and those decisions to make.”
Not really sure what Southgate is thinking right now, as Jadon Sancho could have been a great option to break down Scotland on Friday night. His game would have suited England nicely had Southgate decided to be play more assertively and go for it, instead of opting to hang back and be more defensive.
England, who have scored just one goal in two Euro group stage games, should qualify for the knockout round, but they’ll do little to nothing when they get there, should they keep this approach.
In sticking with gen-Z English internationals, United central defender Axel Tuanzebe is seeking a loan move away from the club this upcoming season. This is according to a report in ESPN today, which goes on to state that clubs both home and abroad are interested.
Tuanzebe has a contract that keeps him at Old Trafford until 2022 with the option to extend one additional year. Despite United’s massive woes at the centre back position, Axel only made nine starts last season.
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.
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