Manchester United have been tipped to sign Jadon Sancho again, with conflicting reports suggesting the Red Devils remain admirers of the Borussia Dortmund star.
With that the case, however, it’s time to throw things back. And the England international was unhappy at the club’s pursuit of him last year, with the Red Devils ultimately forced into signing Edinson Cavani instead.
Some have claimed United have cooled interest in Sancho.
But others have suggested the England international remains a priority target, having bounced back from a stuttering start to the campaign.
Sancho struggled to find his mojo for Dortmund after seeing a move to Old Trafford break down but, since the turn of the year, he’s been magnificent.
The 21-year-old has scored 14 goals across all competitions this season, clocking up eight assists along the way.
So it’s certainly understandable if United were to go after the forward again, despite missing out three times in the past.
Back in the summer, however, The Athletic claimed Sancho was angry with United.
He felt their pursuit of him was half-hearted and he was left with the impression the Red Devils had ‘undervalued’ him.
Sancho clearly felt that if United really wanted him, they’d have attacked the situation with far more vigour than before.
And it was particularly disappointing given he’d done his research on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, talking with Marcus Rashford about the prospect of playing together.
The duo are firm friends off the pitch and were hopeful of striking up a terrific partnership on the field of play as well.
But after talking to Rashford, Sancho was ultimately left crushed when United failed to pounce for the forward – settling for Cavani instead.
Cavani’s move, at the time, was negatively received.
Fans had wanted Sancho and feared that, in the Uruguay international, they’d signed another Galactico like Alexis Sanchez, Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao.
But Cavani has proved his worth this season – and in recent weeks in particular.
The 34-year-old has scored eight goals from his last seven appearances, looking every bit the world-class striker he’s been over the years.
And United are hopeful of keeping the Uruguay international for another 12 months, with Solskjaer admitting regularly he wants his talisman to stay put.
He certainly hinted at a potential contract extension on Sunday, saying: “His movement, his desire to score goals.
“A great cross from Marcus [Rashford]. We’re getting to learn Edinson as well, and hopefully we can use him more next season.”
Regarding Sancho, the Dortmund star was recently asked about his future.
But he refused to commit, admitting he was happy at the club while also failing to rule out a move elsewhere in the future.
“I don’t know about my future,” he said.
“I am very happy here in Dortmund at the moment. I love the club, the fans and the team. They gave me my first professional start.”