This week seems to have been designated as the Jadon Sancho Circus Week, with claims coming from around Europe and the transfer made to sound imminent at one point.
Claims from Germany have had it a little different, insisting there’s been no direct contact and no agreement is close between the clubs. It has been stated personal terms have been agreed, but that was never likely to be a problem anyway.
Manchester United pushed back on Tuesday evening, sending a leak out which said the club would walk away from trying to sign Sancho if Borussia Dortmund won’t reduce their €120m asking price.
Now Süddeutsche Zeitung, a Munich newspaper, have taken a sledgehammer to the transfer, claiming Sancho will ‘probably’ stay with Dortmund. The first part of their article slams the English media collectively, which seems a little unfair in this case, for spreading ‘fake news’ about the move being close.
They state the financial impact of Covid-19 on football will partly be to blame for what they think is the likely failure of a deal, and add: ‘It’s just that neither the hardcore fans of Manchester nor their countless internet bloggers nor the other media want to admit it.’
And they follow with the crucial bit from Watzke: “Also not indirectly or through alleged intermediaries.”
Michael Zorc, BVB’s sports director adds: “I assume that Jadon will go to the training camp on Monday and play with us for the coming season.”
There’s insistence Dortmund will stick to the €120m, and that Sancho and his agent have been informed of this, with Zorc saying: “I don’t expect any difficulties. Jadon has accepted that, he’s a very pleasant, fair guy.”
Süddeutsche Zeitung end their article by saying: ‘In Dortmund they still do not think it is impossible that Woodward will surprise them with a suitcase containing €120m. But it is more likely that there is a much lower offer, which is then rejected. So all sides would have saved face, and in Manchester they could at least say to the fans: We tried, the stubborn Dortmund did not take part.’
Not a very positive slant at all from the German newspaper and Dortmund officials.
