Sancho could be forced to take pay cut as Man Utd set price for Dortmund target

Jadon Sancho will have to take a huge pay cut if he wants to return to Borussia Dortmund permanently this summer with Manchester United laying out their demands.

The winger is on £275,000-a-week at Old Trafford, but he won't be able to earn anything like that if he does want to move back to the German outfit, where he's played on loan since January. United also won't let Sancho go on the cheap, given they paid £73million to sign him three years ago.

They won't accept anything less than 75 per cent of their outlay - which is roughly £55m - if they are to let Sancho leave for the Bundesliga, reports The Sun. The 24-year-old has enjoyed a renaissance at his former club, whom he's helped guide to the Champions League final despite them being one of the unfancied sides in the knockout stages.

Dortmund's record buy as things stand is the £35m they spent to land Ousmane Dembele, which suggests they won't go as high as United are demanding.

Sancho's deal in Manchester runs until 2026 and there is talk of reconciliation at Old Trafford after he was frozen out earlier this season. The winger clashed with Erik ten Hag on social media and, as a result, was cast aside from the first team and failed to play for months.

Ten Hag's stance has reportedly softened but the Dutchman's own future in Manchester is unclear, with any new manager potentially offering Sancho a route back. Technical director Jason Wilcox and incoming CEO Omar Berrada also worked with him at Manchester City, which could aid his hopes of reviving his United career.

Sancho was a huge hit during his first stint at Dortmund, which saw him become one of Europe's most sought-after stars. At Old Trafford though he's failed to consistently deliver, albeit he isn't the first player to arrive with a big reputation yet struggle to hit the heights expected.

Gary Neville has questioned why so many players have joined Manchester, Sancho among them, but only performed when they've been away from United. He said on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet: “You talk about an example of Manchester United, and we’ll come on to United in a bit, but Jadon Sancho, he was awful at United, he was awful, and let’s be clear.

"His performance levels, his confidence, his belief. He goes to a different team, and all of a sudden you start to see a player, where you think, ‘How has that happened, why is that happening time and time again’, that players with great reputations, come into Old Trafford and they just don’t work."