Manchester United Focus On Dembele With Sancho Slipping Away

Manchester United needs to explore other options with Jadon Sancho likely to be off the table. Borussia Dortmund gave the Red Devils until Aug. 10 to make an offer but nothing came. United stressed that they would not be bullied into a deal, preferring to move at their own pace. That may have just backfired and now the Bundesliga squad is moving on.

With the deadline lapsing, Die Borussen included the 20-year-old player in their pre-season training squad. Sancho Sancho traveled with the club in the Swiss spa town of Bad Ragaz, Sky Sports reported. This would make it doubly hard for the Red Devils to try and deal for Sancho. Hence, the best recourse right now is for them to look at other options.

And it appears that is the direction the Red Devils are headed. With their chances on Sancho slipping away, the Red Devils are now targeting Ousmane Dembele of FC Barcelona. Talks have been made between the two sides about the French winger, ESPN reported. Dembele has two years left in his contract with Barca.

Considering Dembele has not exactly played well for the Catalan giants, the move could be a risky one. Aside from that, the French player underwent surgery on his hamstring last February. But with their options now shrinking, the 23-year-old could be one option they need to consider.

However, it will not be an immediate deal. United will take in Dembele but initially on loan with an obligation to buy. So far, no formal offer has been made as of this writing. United may be still trying to pull off a deal for Sancho even with Dortmund already saying they have no chance at the English player.

As for Dembele, he could be of use to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer if he is healthy. His speed is something that has caught the fancy of United but his durability has raised questions.

The Red Devils were given a report on the health status of Dembele but seem to be suspicious of its accuracy, Sport reported. Given they don't have many options right now, United could take a chance on the French player or skim the market for other plausible targets.