Bundesliga
MANCHESTER MISS DEADLINE FOR SANCHO DEAL
Manchester United have missed Borussia Dortmund’s deadline for the transfer of Jadon Sancho, with the English forward boarding the plane to the German club’s pre-season training camp in Switzerland on Monday morning.
According to UK’s Daily Mail, today, August 10, was Dortmund’s deadline for a deal going through for United’s top summer transfer target, with the Bundesliga runners-up ready to pull the plug on proceedings.
The German giants have made clear a willingness to sell Sancho to United though have stuck firm on a £108million valuation – of which United have so far failed to meet – and the 20-year-old has now been included in Dortmund’s squad for their pre-season tour this week.
Dortmund chiefs communicated to the Old Trafford hierarchy that they had until August 10 to trim the edges of a deal and have everything in place, ahead of Lucien Favre’s senior squad reconvening for pre-season preparations and planning for the campaign ahead, and now a potential deal is on the rocks.
The coronavirus pandemic and the collective global postponement of sport means a much smaller window exists for teams to get deals done and smoothed out before action returns.
A deal is yet to be agreed between the clubs, though it is understood it will include a large initial payment followed by a series of realistic clauses which the 20-year-old will trigger during his time at Old Trafford.
The difference between the two sides lies with the valuation on United’s side, with chief Ed Woodward looking for a reduced price due to the damaged financial climate caused by the pandemic.
Sancho still has two years remaining on his current deal meaning Dortmund are under no pressure to sell this summer, and are reportedly ready to pull out of the deal if United continue to stall – yet Woodward does not see the August 10 deadline as a potential deal breaker.
Alternatives to Sancho for United include Bayern Munich forward Kingsley Coman, and reports from Germany on Monday say that Juventus winger Douglas Costa is also being mooted as an option for the Red Devils.
The 20-year-old was back on home soil on Saturday night at a party hosted by famous rap duo Krept and Konan in the UK.
The excitement of United fans on social media grew after seeing Sancho enjoy a house party in the UK, particularly given Dortmund have a series of friendlies coming up.
The Bundesliga runners-up have their first pre-season friendly on Wednesday in Austria against SC Rheindorf Altach, but Sancho seems to have been given the weekend off given the social media videos which have gone viral of the England star dancing at the house party.
Dortmund had set the August 10 deadline because they want undisturbed preparation for the 2020-21 Bundesliga season.
The new campaign starts on 18 September, with the transfer deadline for international deals arriving on October 5.
In recent days, with Dortmund yet to hear from United, it was reported they have started to take steps to offer Sancho a bumper new deal and have him recommit to the Signal Iduna Park.
German publication Bild say Dortmund will try and tempt Sancho to stay with an enhanced deal on the £190,000-a-week he currently earns.
Ready to make a financial investment to keep hold of one of Europe’s most in-demand stars, Dortmund would reportedly cough up an additional £3.5million to top up Sancho’s annual wages.
This would deter a big-money move across the continent for at least another summer, although it has also emerged that Sancho has apparently already been included in a WhatsApp group with Manchester United players.
Sancho is well acquainted with several of the senior Red Devils, playing alongside the likes of Marcus Rashford, Harry Maguire and Jesse Lingard with the England national team.
Should his deal go through, Sancho is tipped to immediately become one of the highest earners at Old Trafford, on a long-term contract.
Sancho’s already eye-watering £190,000 per week at Dortmund would almost double at United, with a weekly wage in the region of £340,000 a week waiting for him.
The youngster has just finished the most productive season of his short career to date, scoring 17 goals in the German top flight and matching this with 17 assists.
Sancho provided a further two goals and two assists in the Champions League, and is tipped to be England’s leading light at next summer’s European Championships.
Bayer Leverkusen kept pace with Bundesliga leader Bayern Munich by beating Hoffenheim 3-1 on Sunday with goals from Victor Boniface, Patrik Schick and Jeremie Frimpong.
Leverkusen finished with 10 players after Álex Grimaldo’s sending off with half an hour to play. New signings Emiliano Buendía and Mario Hermoso made their debuts as Xabi Alonso’s team stayed six points behind Bayern two weeks before the top two clash in Leverkusen.
Bayern defeated Holstein Kiel on Saturday.
Boniface scored with his first shot at goal since his proposed move to Saudi team Al-Nassr collapsed. The Nigeria forward started for his first game since early November after recovering from a thigh injury, and he scored in the 15th minute with a shot that Hoffenheim ’keeper Luca Philipp should arguably have stopped.
Frimpong made it 2-0 four minutes later after Aleix García sent the Dutch wing back through.
Then Robin Braun became the first referee to announce a VAR call to fans in a Bundesliga game when a penalty he awarded to Nathan Tella for a foul by Hoffenheim defender David Jurasek was taken back — video replays showed the Leverkusen attacker was coming from an offside position before he was fouled.
Leverkusen’s match was among five in the 20th round trialling the NFL-style announcements, a change league officials hope will make the much-maligned VAR system more popular among fans.
Buendía went on for the injured Tella to make his Bundesliga debut before the break, and Schick went on for Boniface after it.
Buendía surged through the Hoffenheim defence only to see his shot saved by Philipp, but Schick was there to tuck away the rebound for 3-0 in the 51st. It was the Czech forward’s 14th league goal of the season.
Then Grimaldo was shown red in the 61st when Hoffenheim substitute Gift Orban went on for the visitors. Orban pulled a goal back a minute later.
Buendía made way for Hermoso to compensate for Grimaldo’s sending off. Though tempers flared at times, Leverkusen’s 10 men contained the visitors for the rest of the game.
Third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt drew with Wolfsburg 1-1 in the early game.
-AFP
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Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso said Victor Boniface will remain at the Bundesliga club, after the Nigerian striker was left out of their Champions League clash with Sparta Prague amid rumours of a move to Saudi Arabia.
Boniface returned from injury on Saturday but was on the bench for Leverkusen’s 2-2 draw with RB Leipzig after German media reports linked him with a transfer to Saudi club Al-Nassr.
He was then left out of training ahead of Leverkusen’s 2-0 Champions League win over Czech side Sparta Prague on Wednesday.
“He will train again tomorrow. I believe he is staying with us,” Alonso told reporters after that win.
“So I have to say that I am satisfied, I am happy. He is comfortable here, so I don’t believe that this is a big stress for him.”
The 24-year-old has scored eight goals in 15 games in all competitions. Last season, he netted 14 goals in 23 league appearances to finish as their top scorer and played a pivotal role in securing Leverkusen’s first Bundesliga title.
Boniface staying at Leverkusen could open the doors for Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran to join Al-Nassr instead.
The Colombian forward is also a reported target for the Saudi club, who are looking to bolster a frontline that already features Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane.
-Reuters
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Bundesliga
Leverkusen sidelines Boniface at training session over transfer issues with Ronaldo’s club
Bayer Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface was left out of training on Tuesday as German media reports linked the striker with a move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr, with manager Xabi Alonso saying negotiations for the player’s transfer were ongoing.
If the transfer materialises, Boniface will be a teammate of Cristiano Ronaldo.
The 24-year-old Boniface returned from injury on Saturday but was on the bench for Leverkusen’s 2-2 draw with RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga.
Before his injury in November, he had scored eight goals in 15 games in all competitions. Last season, he netted 14 goals in 23 league appearances to finish as their top scorer and played a pivotal role in securing Leverkusen’s first Bundesliga title.
“The situation with (Boniface) does exist. Negotiations are ongoing with the club, so we have to wait. Our preparation for the match remains the same,” Alonso told reporters ahead of the Champions League clash against Sparta Prague on Wednesday.
“We prepared (for the game) without Boni, of course. We still have to wait a little longer to see (how the situation unfolds),” the Spanish coach added.
“After Jeanu (Belocian) and Martin (Terrier) injuries we already said that we need to be active in the transfer window. Three days remain and we are so close (to a decision).
“I am and I will be happy with the squad (regardless). Until now, all players feel that they are ready and they are an important part of the team.”
Defender Belocian suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury at the start of the year and winger Terrier sustained an Achilles tendon rupture last week.
Leverkusen, eighth in the Champions League standings on 13 points, have already booked at least a knockout stage playoff spot while Sparta Prague, with four points from seven games, have been eliminated.
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