29 September 2023 , 23:37
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Manchester United are preparing to sign a Jadon Sancho replacement given the 23-year-old's rift with manager Erik ten Hag shows no sign of ending any time soon.
Sancho has been exiled from the first-team fold for the majority of this month after he implied that his boss was lying about the quality of his performances in training and insisted Ten Hag had used him as a "scapegoat" in a strongly worded statement uploaded to social media.
Since then, Sancho has been left out in the cold, barred from first-team training and even banned from using the club's first-team facilities, including the dining room. It has been widely reported that the situation will remain the same as it is now until the former Borussia Dortmund apologises, which is looking increasingly unlikely.
As a result, a transfer frenzy could ensue in January, with other clubs keeping tabs on Sancho while United plot how to replace him. It is believed that the Red Devils would accept a bid around the £45million mark were it to come in for Sancho.
In terms of potential incomings, Italian outlet Calciomercato report that United have their eyes on Juventus winger Federico Chiesa. An established Italian international with an European Championship to his name, Ten Hag likes what he sees and could lodge a bid at the turn of the calendar year, with the 25-year-old valued at £52m.
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His contract in Turin expires in the summer of 2025, meaning Juventus aren't exactly in a position where they can be cornered into selling on the cheap, but are unlikely to command a huge fee either. Chiesa has started this season in fine form, with four goals and an assist to his name in his opening Serie A games.
As for Sancho, the writing may be on the wall for the England international at Old Trafford but United cult hero Dimitar Berbatov feels he could still revive his Red Devils career yet if he just looks to reconcile with Ten Hag. "The manager makes the decision and Sancho needs to apologise to Ten Hag publicly or privately and understand his mistake the right way," Berbatov told Betfair.
HAVE YOUR SAY!Is Chiesa an upgrade on Sancho? Comment below
Federico Chiesa has been linked with a move to Man Utd amid speculation over Jadon Sancho's feature"Once he's done that, Sancho needs to earn his place in the team and the only way to do that is by training harder and playing well when the chance arises. Sometimes a player - and I hope this isn't the case for Sancho - who takes this long to resolve conflict has overestimated his own value to the club."
Berbatov did go as far to claim that Sancho's sorry saga isn't the same as the oen that saw Cristiano Ronaldo leave the club under a cloud as the 23-year-old hasn't won anywhere near as much.
"When it's Ronaldo, it's different as he's achieved everything," he added. "I was at the club when Wayne Rooney had a fall out with the manager, and they sorted things out. I think Sancho is overestimating his importance. He's not won that many trophies with them. It's a different situation."