Are Dortmund trying to call Manchester United's bluff?
Yes, probably.
Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc today
announced that the club had no intention of selling Jadon Sancho to Manchester United.
“We plan with Jadon Sancho. He will play with us next season. I think that answers all the questions," he said in a press conference on Monday afternoon.
The announcement was made amid constant rumours and reports of negotiations between Dortmund and United over the sale of the 20-year-old. Most reports suggest personal terms have been agreed between United and Sancho, while the clubs continue to haggle over a fee and the payment structure.
Zorc's comments may look like an attempt to put the saga to bed, but if we have learned anything from his stances on previous transfer sagas, it's that this is likely to be a power play.
Before Ousmane Dembele moved to Barcelona, Zorc responded to questions about whether the player's could leave by
saying: "No way."
"What we've seen [from him] was extraordinary, both in his value for team and his development.
"You always get the feeling he can do something special, make the difference. He can decide games by himself, even those games he's not really involved in."
Dembele then joined Barcelona for a fee in the region of €105million.
It's almost certain that Zorc is playing the same game in this instance.
If Dortmund's previous transfer business - and United's for that matter - are anything to go by, it's that eventually United will pay up exactly what Dortmund are asking for, such is their desperation for the player. And that Dortmund are more than happy to sell the player, as long as their asking price is matched.
This saga will go on for some time yet.
