Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was forced to dodge an awkward question over Manchester United’s plans for Jadon Sancho, refusing to rule out a bid for the Borussia Dortmund star.
Sancho, 20, has been closely linked with a move to Old Trafford this summer, although the likes of Liverpool, Real Madrid and Barcelona are also said to be considering an offer.
Any transfer, though, would likely not come cheap, with Dortmund reportedly setting a price tag upwards of £100 million ($123m) on their young gem at a time when spare cash is at a premium in the post-coronavirus football world.
That did not stop a reporter from Norway’s Viaplay from asking Solskjaer whether he was considering signing anyone from BVB, a question that momentarily stumped the United manager.
‘I’m good at maths, but I can’t answer that question. There are many good footballers on many teams,’ Solskjaer told the journalist, before adding that United would be in the market for the right player and on the right terms.
‘If something is in front of us screaming that it’s sensible, both from a sporting and a financial perspective, I know we’re going to try, but you can’t make any promises.’
Speaking on Saturday, Dortmund director and former player Sebastian Kehl emphasised that his club had received no bids for Sancho’s services and were hopeful of retaining him for at least another 12 months.
‘We expect Jadon to play with BVB next season and we’re all very happy with the quality that he brings to our side and the difference that he can make,’ he told Sport Buzzer.
Sancho arrived at Signal Iduna Park in August 2017 when he was just 17, having declined to sign professional terms with United’s arch-rivals Manchester City.
He has gone on to establish himself as a key member of the Dortmund first team and one of the world’s premier young talents, making 99 senior appearances to date and scoring 34 goals.
The 2019-20 season saw Sancho reach a personal best tally of 17 Bundesliga goals, a figure only bettered by Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski and future Chelsea signing Timo Werner.
However, it was not enough to break Bayern’s domination of the German top flight as the Bavarians ultimately finished 13 points clear at the top to seal their eighth consecutive title.
