Jadon Sancho closes in on 'dream' transfer ahead of Man Utd exit

Jadon Sancho is finally set to leave Manchester United (Picture: Getty) Jadon Sancho is closing in on a ‘dream’ transfer move ahead of his departure from Manchester United, according to reports. Sancho’s miserable five-year spell at Old Trafford is finally set to come to an end this summer upon the expiration of his United contract. The 25-year-old was one of the most highly-rated players in Europe when he completed a £73m move to Manchester United in 2021. Sancho came through Manchester City’s academy and while he failed to make the grade at the Etihad Stadium, it was a different story in Germany where he shone for Bundesliga giants Dortmund. Manchester United hardly ever experienced an in-form Sancho, however, and he was sent back to Dortmund on loan after just two seasons at the club. Sancho’s performances on the pitch were only one part of the problem, with the forward also falling out with former United boss Erik ten Hag during that period. Chelsea signed Sancho on loan last season and were expected to keep him at Stamford Bridge in a deal worth £25m. Sancho joined Man Utd in 2021 (Picture: Getty) But the Blues surprisingly decided to pay a £5m penalty to get out of the deal and send Sancho back to Manchester United. Still firmly on the periphery at Old Trafford, Sancho joined Aston Villa last summer but has struggled under Unai Emery, failing to score a single goal in the Premier League. A productive spell at Villa Park could have earned Sancho a permanent transfer but Aston Villa now have no interest in keeping the player beyond this season. Borussia Dortmund boss Niko Kovac (Picture: Getty) With Manchester United taking a similar stance, Sancho is set to leave on a free transfer this summer and Borussia Dortmund have emerged as the favourites to secure his signature. Sancho has been linked with a permanent return to Dortmund in recent months and German outlet Bild claim that move is now ‘very likely’. It is claimed Borussia Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl views Sancho as a ‘game-changer’ and is urging his colleagues to sanction a summer deal. {"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Carrick plays down Rooney backing for permanent Man Utd role after another home win versus Villa","contentUrl":"https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2026\/03\/16\/1062800491101466862\/480x270_MP4_1062800491101466862.mp4","description":"Michael Carrick insisted he was not listening to the likes of former team-mate Wayne Rooney after the clamour for him to get the Manchester United job long-term increased following Sunday's 3-1 win over Aston Villa.","duration":"T8M31S","height":270,"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2026\/03\/16\/03\/107163875-0-image-m-53_1773632762814.jpg","uploadDate":"2026-03-16T03:42:33+0000","width":480} To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page window.addEventListener('metroVideo:relatedVideosCarouselLoaded', function(data) { if (typeof(data.detail) === 'undefined' || typeof(data.detail.carousel) === 'undefined' || typeof(data.detail.carousel.el_) === 'undefined') { return; } var player = data.detail.carousel.el_; var container = player.closest('.metro-video-player'); var placeholder = container.querySelector('.metro-video-player__up-next-placeholder'); if (placeholder) { container.removeChild(placeholder); container.classList.add('metro-video-player--related-videos-loaded'); } }); Dortmund boss Niko Kovac, meanwhile, has indicated to his bosses that he is open to such a transfer, though Sancho would have to take a significant pay-cut. Bild have suggested that would not be an issue, however, as Sancho is willing to sacrifice some cash to secure a ‘dream’ return to the club where he burst onto the scene. Borussia Dortmund are keen to bolster their options out side after selling England U21 star Jamie Gittens to Chelsea last summer. Dortmund are second in the Bundesliga – nine points behind runaway leaders Bayern Munich – and suffered a disappointing Champions League play-off defeat to Atalanta. Sancho’s parent club Manchester United, meanwhile, have enjoyed an impressive resurgence under caretaker manager Michael Carrick to climb to third in the Premier League. The winger’s current side, Aston Villa, have lost three Premier League games in a row to slip to fifth in the table. Emery’s side are going well in the Europa League, however, and have a one-goal lead over Lille ahead of the second leg of their last-16 clash on Thursday night. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.