Sancho swap deal takes fresh twist as Man Utd star offered transfer lifeline

Juventus are exploring a move to sign out-of-favour Manchester United forward Jadon Sancho.

Sancho, 24, faces an uncertain final week of the summer transfer window, having returned to Old Trafford in June following a half-season loan spell with Borussia Dortmund. The £73million signing had fell out with manager Erik ten Hag in September last year, resulting in him being exiled from United's first-team squad and facilities.

But Ten Hag agreed to bury the hatchet with Sancho in July, welcoming him back for pre-season training. The 24-year-old was left gutted when he was left out of the matchday squad to face Fulham last Friday, though, as United began their Premier League campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 win.

With the transfer window due to close at 11pm on August 30, Sancho finds himself among the group of players who Old Trafford chiefs would consider bids for. Paris Saint-Germain recently registered their interest, prompting speculation of a swap deal which would see top United target Manuel Ugarte head in the other direction.

However, that move now looks out of the question and Juventus hope to capitalise on what appears to be a free run. Sky Sports report that the Italian giants are currently exploring the conditions of a potential deal and it's believed that personal terms have already been discussed.

Sancho's reported £250,000-a-week wages have been a stumbling block for other suitors, with Dortmund having looked at a permanent deal earlier in the summer. It's also been claimed elsewhere that United have placed a £70m price tag on the 23-time England international.

Ten Hag's decision to leave him out against Fulham was an indication of the competition which Sancho would face if he stayed at Old Trafford. The Red Devils travel to Brighton for Saturday's early kick-off, with the former Manchester City academy star expected to miss out on making the squad once again.

"We have a squad and I hope we will have a squad with double positioning and when we go into the season after 1 September, that means also you can't select all the players for a game," Ten Hag explained on Thursday.

"But you need them all throughout the season because this season will be the survival of the fittest. The attitude of the players is very important, sometimes they will be disappointed, but they have to deal with it. You don't win with 11, you win with a squad.

"The prizes are decided next May and until then we need all the players in the squad and highly motivated to contribute. That is not an expectation, that is a demand from the club and from me as manager of the squad. The team is always more important than any one individual."