If Jadon Sancho's Deal Doesn't Go Through, Manchester United Aim To Sign This Liverpool-Born Forward: Report

Manchester United are reportedly planning to sign Schalke winger Rabbi Matondo if the deal with Dortmund for their top-target, Jadon Sancho, does not go through this summer.

Last summer, when the Red Devils side failed to sign Sancho, they had turned to Daniel James, who moved to Old Trafford for a fee of $18 million from Swansea. According to Manchester Evening News, Man Utd are preparing themselves for a cost-efficient back-up for Sancho and they have identified James’ Wales teammate, Matondo, as an ideal option.

It was Wales coach Ryan Giggs who gave Ole Gunnar Solskjaer heads up about James’ possible transfer last year and the former Man Utd captain has had Matondo in all his squads since the teenager’s first-team debut in November. The report further stated that Man Utd are also interested in Wales center-back Joe Rodon, who currently plays for Swansea.

To compensate for the lost revenue amid the coronavirus outbreak, Schalke are expected to sell most of their first-team players at the end of the 2019-20 season. Matondo and Sancho could come against each other when the Bundesliga’s current campaign resumes this weekend in the Gelsenkirchen derby between Dortmund and Schalke.

By buying the likes of James, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and Harry Maguire last year, Man Utd have made their intentions of preferring young British talents quite clear. It is not surprising that this summer, they are after the likes of Sancho and Matondo, who played for Manchester City in his youth career.

Matondo, who was born in Liverpool, has started 12 times for Schalke this Bundesliga season and has scored once in comparison to Sancho’s seven starts for Dortmund.

Even a rich club such as Man Utd have suffered the financial impact of the coronavirus outbreak and their chief executive, Ed Woodward, has already made it clear that this transfer market won’t see “usual business” from them. While they will enter the window with a restricted budget, Dortmund are not ready to reduce Sancho’s transfer fee, which is expected to be $122m or more.