A huge part of Lille’s great second place season a couple of years ago, there was a feeling Jonathan Ikoné could end up moving around the same time Nicolas Pépé did.
That never happened, however, and the attacking midfielder has once again been key to their great form this season, with the club now one win away from their first Ligue 1 title since the 2010-11 season back when Rudi Garcia was in charge and Eden Hazard was yet to move to Chelsea.
Now, while Manchester United aren’t going anywhere near Ikoné, they and their fans will be glad to know that he is Borussia Dortmund’s ‘priorit’y to replace Jadon Sancho.
The England international’s future has once again become the centre of attention in Germany these days, and the Red Devils find themselves linked for the umpteenth time.
Other names have been ticked, such as those of Donyell Malen, David Neres or Pedro Gonçalves, but the Lille star ‘is their priority’.
Not only that, but they are ‘planning to invite him’ to visit their infrastructures and stadium in order to convince him.
None of this means Sancho will definitely be heading to Manchester United, but it does indicate that, seemingly for the first time, the club are considering a future without him.
Good news for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and the rest of the Old Trafford faithful.
