Manchester United’s Ex-Assistant Says Red Devils Don’t Need Jadon Sancho

Former Manchester United assistant manager Steve McClaren said the Red Devils would not need the services of top transfer target Jadon Sancho. Seeing the need for the English giants to acquire an upgrade for Anthony Martial, the 59-year-old instead suggested the pursuit of another Borussia Dortmund striker, saying that Sancho’s game does not fit in the gap of the team's required position.

McClaren wants United to consider Erling Haaland, Sancho’s teammate at Dortmund, saying the Norwegian “would have been perfect” at Old Trafford.

“(Ole Gunnar Solskjaer) is helpless if the club doesn’t back (Martial) and go for the likes of Haaland,” McClaren told talkSport, via the Goal.

“What a perfect fit he would have been. I’ve seen him for Dortmund and he’s an incredible player at 20. Imagine him in the Man United team, that would be spot on. So they’re not far away, but they have to spend the money and get the right players.”

The English coach has high praises for Sancho, but he insisted that the addition of the rising prodigy is simply not what the doctor has ordered for Man United.

“I’ve seen Jadon Sancho play a lot for Dortmund and he’s very, very exciting, but he’s a little bit like Martial, (Marcus) Rashford and (Mason) Greenwood and I wonder, do they really need that?” McClaren asked.

“He’s not a No 9, and Martial, Rashford and Greenwood aren’t that either. You’ve got to get a fox in the box, a goalscorer and No 9 and they’ve got to find one quick.

“Yes, Sancho would improve the squad, but to win big games and to win cups, you need a No 9 and you need two damn good center-backs. Haaland would have been perfect; a young talented striker, a No 9 who can play under pressure – they’re difficult to find.”

Sancho's name has been heavily linked to Manchester United in the transfer market, but a disaccord in several terms has seemed to have put the impending move in cold storage.

The potential addition of Haaland is seen as a logical move for the Premier League club should the chase for Sancho go down in flames. The 20-year-old has notched 13 goals in 15 appearances in Bundesliga since joining Dortmund in January, making him a potent choice for the club’s striking position.