Niko Kovac is driving Borussia Dortmund’s pursuit of Jadon Sancho; they are gearing up for an intense transfer battle with Aston Villa.
Jadon Sancho could return to Borussia Dortmund ahead of next season. According to a report from TEAMtalk, the German club’s manager, Niko Kovac, is pushing hard to have the Manchester United flop in their squad.
While they have started making moves, Borussia Dortmund won’t find it easy to secure his services, as they will have to battle Aston Villa for his signature. Unai Emery’s team remain hopeful that he will continue at the club beyond this season.
After making quite a name for himself at the Bundesliga club, Jadon Sancho made a £73 million move to Manchester United in the summer of 2021. Unfortunately, the move did not go according to plan for both parties. He struggled to get going and has been out on loan since the start of 2024.
After a short loan spell at Borussia Dortmund, he was with Chelsea last season and is currently on loan at Villa Park. The Englishman has been involved in 34 matches for Villa, and he has racked up over 1,500 minutes. While he has only four goal contributions, Emery seems quite impressed with his overall performances and would love to have him around next season as well.
Sancho is set to be a free agent ahead of next season, as his contract with Manchester United runs out after the 2025/26 season. While the Red Devils do have an option to extend it by another year, they have decided against exercising it and are ready to lose him for free.
Dortmund and Aston Villa battle for Sancho’s signature
Borussia Dortmund see this as a great opportunity to bring him back to the club. They want him back at the Signal Iduna Park for the third time and have already stepped up their efforts. The Black and Yellows are believed to be the front-runners to sign the 26-year-old, despite serious interest from Aston Villa.
Sancho has held talks with both clubs in recent weeks, but it is reported that Dortmund have made significant progress over the last two weeks. The biggest factor has been the direct involvement of Niko Kovac. He has already given him a rough idea of how the United winger would fit in his system.
The talks between the two have been very positive, and the German giants are now gearing up for his return. The club’s hierarchy are working on the finances involved and could soon table an official offer once they are certain about bringing him back. While it will be a free transfer, he will still be one of their highest-paid players, even though he is ready to take a massive pay cut.
While Dortmund are in pole position, Aston Villa are not out of the race. They remain in constant contact with the player’s camp. The 26-year-old has high regard for Unai Emery, which could work in the English club’s favour. On top of that, they could offer him a better financial package, even though it won’t come close to the £250,000-a week he earns at Old Trafford.