Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund manager Lucien Favre has said Jadon Sancho was substituted in the first half of the team's 4-0 loss to Bayern Munich because he "was not good enough."

Dortmund were well below their best in the contest at the Allianz Arena, with Bayern inspired to victory by Robert Lewandowski's two goals. Sancho started the game but was taken off after just 36 minutes.

Given the England international had missed some training in the buildup to the game, there was an assumption that he had aggravated an injury problem when he was withdrawn. However, the Dortmund boss offered a candid explanation after the game, per Daniel Lewis of Goal.

"He was injured for a couple of days and could not train," he said. "Yesterday he returned to training, but I think you saw he was not good enough today. He was not injured."

Here are the highlights from the clash, which moved Bayern to within one point of Bundesliga leaders Borussia Monchengladbach:

As football writer Zach Lowy relayed, Sancho hasn't enjoyed the most prosperous of spells lately:

Jadon Sancho over the past month:

-Benched vs. Freiburg

-Excluded from the squad vs. Gladbach after returning late from international break

-Didn't play at all vs. Wolfsburg

-Subbed off after 36 minutes vs. Bayern

— Zach Lowy (@ZachLowy) November 9, 2019

Per Stefan Buczko of ESPN FC, the 19-year-old was culpable in the buildup to the opening goal, as he was sloppy in possession and failed to track his man:

For some reason I thought it was Hakimi who lost the ball before the 1-0 but it was Sancho, who then just remained where he lost the ball. Not up for it, sub warranted. https://t.co/qRD1LytpAV

— Stefan Buczko (@StefanBuczko) November 9, 2019

Favre was critical of the manner in which his team performed overall, as they missed an opportunity to move to the top of the table.

"I have to say that we were clearly not there," he said. "It was a very, very weak performance. You saw today that it was way too little from us. Way too little."

Favre's frustration is understandable, as he would have seen the game as a chance to earn a win in Munich. After all, Bayern sacked Niko Kovac after the team were hammered 5-1 at Eintracht Frankfurt in their previous league match.

However, Dortmund were unable to pose the same sorts of issues for the Bayern defence and were wide-open at the other end on numerous occasions. Buczko commented on the side's lack of quality and determination following the forgettable afternoon:

Dortmund created 1 shot in 90 minutes.

Bayern were without Süle, Boateng and Hernandez.

BVB were without the will to win. #fcbbvb

— Stefan Buczko (@StefanBuczko) November 9, 2019

Sancho's poor display and consequent substitution did little to help the team's attacking play, as he so frequently brings a thrust on the flanks and composed decision-making in the final third. It will be intriguing to see whether he's back in the side when club football returns after the international break.

If the winger is fit, he will join up with Gareth Southgate's England squad in the coming days. They are in action in two UEFA 2020 European Championship qualifiers over the international break, with the first against Montenegro at Wembley Stadium on Thursday.

Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc has shot down reports linking Jose Mourinho with the club.

Mourinho was said to be under consideration by Dortmund if they part with current boss Lucien Favre:

Borussia Dortmund will consider the appointment of Jose Mourinho if they decide to sack Lucien Favre, according to Sport Bild 💛🖤 pic.twitter.com/UkiTSvMxH0

— GOAL (@goal) October 23, 2019

However, Zorc told Sky Deutschland (h/t Goal's Chris Burton): "Those Mourinho rumours are without any substance. There is no discussion around our coach. We are delighted Lucien Favre is our coach."

Favre took charge of the side last year, and BVB missed out on the Bundesliga title by two points.

It was the closest they've been to Bayern since they last won the title in 2012, but Favre's side had led the race by nine points in December.

This season, Dortmund are fourth after eight games, level on points with Bayern and one off the top.

Sports journalist and broadcaster Lucy Zelic questioned the links with Mourinho when they emerged, but Ryan Taylor of the Express suggested he could be a good fit:

Reports coming out of Germany linking Mourinho to Dortmund should Favre get punted. Makes zero sense. pic.twitter.com/2HOpu60r7a

— Lucy Zelić (@LucyZelic) October 23, 2019

Mourinho to Dortmund, yes please. Bayern faltering, amazing fans, firm structure & great chance to turn the tide in the Bundesliga. Ticks all the boxes, if his comments about finding a job like Solskjaer's 'project' are genuine. #BVB

— Ryan Taylor (@RyanTaylorSport) October 23, 2019

Mourinho, who has never managed in Germany, has won a total of eight league titles in Portugal, England, Italy and Spain.

He has also won the UEFA Champions League twice and the UEFA Europa League once, among many other honours.

However, since winning his third Premier League title with Chelsea in 2015, Mourinho's career has been in decline.

The 56-year-old was sacked by the Blues in December that year after losing nine of their first 16 matches in the 2015-16 season.

He joined Manchester United the following season, and although he won the Europa League and the League Cup in his second campaign, in which he also guided United to second with 81 points, the side's negative style of play was routinely criticised.

The negativity came to a head last season, and he was relieved of his duties in December after a poor start to the campaign.

While many clubs would likely be willing to overlook his recent decline given the volume of trophies he's delivered in his coaching career, Dortmund might also be concerned by his poor track record of developing young players.

With the likes of Jadon Sancho and Jacob Bruun Larsen in their ranks, the club would likely prefer a coach who will look to prioritise their growth as much as silverware.  

Mourinho isn't likely to be out of work for too long, but it seems Dortmund will not be a likely destination.

Borussia Dortmund assistant coach Jorg Heinrich is hoping Jadon Sancho opts to remain with Borussia Dortmund for a little longer amid links to Manchester United and Liverpool.

Per Goal's Kieran Francis, Heinrich acknowledged Sancho is likely to move on at some point, but he said that staying put is his best option for the time being:

"The club is ambitious to keep its players, but it also realises that Jadon might move on in the future.

"He is the biggest talent in the world right now, but it's important that he stays at Dortmund to continue his development, because here he can play in the Champions League."

Sancho joined from Manchester City in 2017 and has become a regular at Dortmund, with 18 goals and 30 assists to his name in 67 first-team appearances for the Bundesliga outfit.

This season, the 19-year-old has returned four goals and seven assists in 12 outings.

"The game time he has received at Dortmund since moving from Man City has helped him to this stage," Heinrich added. "The squad has played to his strengths as a wide attacker."

The coach did note the winger's form is going over a "hurdle" as a result of the game time he has received at such a young age, though, as well as Sancho "getting more attention from the opposition."

Most recently, Sancho played in Dortmund's 2-0 defeat to Inter Milan on Wednesday, in which he made his 10th appearance in the UEFA Champions League:

4 – Jadon Sancho is set to become just the fourth Englishman to appear in 10 Champions League matches as a teenager, after Theo Walcott (17), Trent Alexander-Arnold (12) and Jack Wilshere (11). Cubs. pic.twitter.com/MMpJxBNYxV

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 23, 2019

Despite his age, he's an important player already for Dortmund:

Teenagers to have featured in 75 percent-or-more league minutes across Europe's top five leagues this season:

🇦🇴 Eduardo Camavinga
🇭🇷 Domagoj Bradarić
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Dwight McNeil
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Jadon Sancho
🇫🇷 Benoît Badiashile
🇫🇷 Andy Pelmard
🇵🇹 João Félix
🇸🇪 Dejan Kulusevski

Young starters. pic.twitter.com/qzRH9rMlOd

— SCOUTED (@scoutedftbl) October 22, 2019

After taking the opportunity to shine with BVB, he's also broken into the England senior team.

Sancho has earned 10 caps for the Three Lions since he made his debut in October last year—England have played 12 games in that time.

He'd likely remain a key player if he moved to United, whose right wing has been neglected for years. He'd be under a much more intense spotlight at Old Trafford, though, particularly as the club would be looking to him to help turn around several years of decline.

Liverpool would bring plenty of scrutiny, too, but rather than be a regular starter, he'd have to compete with the established front three of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah for game time.

A lucrative move away from Dortmund seems inevitable, but for his development, he's perhaps in the best place he could be.  

Borussia Dortmund are reportedly in regular contact with former Manchester United and Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho.

Mourinho has been out of management since he was sacked by United in December 2018, but he is said to be learning German ahead of a possible new venture in the Bundesliga.

That's according to Bild (h/t MailOnline's Tom Farmery), who reported the 56-year-old is the top choice to succeed Lucien Favre at Dortmund, who are fourth in the Bundesliga—one point back on joint-leaders Borussia Monchengladbach and Wolfsburg.

The Black and Yellows have drawn three of their last four league fixtures, and sportswriter Manuel Veth recently spoke of tension between manager and chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke:

Despite the Hoffenheim result, Kovac is secure in his position as the head coach of #Bayern according to Sport Bild. The situation, however, is different for Lucien Favre at #BVB. According to Sport Bild there is a visible distance between Watzke and the head coach.

— Manuel Veth (@ManuelVeth) October 8, 2019

Mourinho has faced Dortmund four times in his managerial career (all in the UEFA Champions League while at Real Madrid), losing two and winning one.

This season is the first Mourinho has started without a club since the beginning of his managerial career, instead taking up a role as a pundit with Sky Sports:

The tactician's reported annual wage at Manchester United of £24 million is likely to impact his chances of becoming a manager in Germany, where finances are a more sensitive topic for the part-supporter-owned clubs.

Bayern Munich have already lost once this season, and some Dortmund fans may be disappointed should Favre fail to capitalise upon the uncertainty that's grown at the Allianz Arena under Niko Kovac.

Die Roten no longer look like the unbeatable domestic force they have done in recent years with managers like Jupp Heynckes, Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola.

Watzke also revealed Dortmund tried to bring back a managerial heavyweight in Jurgen Klopp last year but were unsuccessful, per the Mirror's Alex Richards:

Hans-Joachim Watzke says in his new book that he asked Jurgen Klopp to return to Dortmund in 2018. Klopp's response: "Are you stupid, have you been drinking, how did you get the idea?" https://t.co/px8wIn9pMP

— Alex Richards (@AA_Richards) October 10, 2019

Mourinho's last two jobs at United and Chelsea (his second stint) have each ended sourly, with speculation of player unrest and big personalities clashing apparent towards the end of both spells.

Germany is one of the few major European leagues in which Mourinho is yet to try his hand, though there are obstacles blocking the path before he can tick that box with Dortmund.

Marco Reus will be absent for Borussia Dortmund's UEFA Champions League clash at Inter Milan on Wednesday.

According to Bundesliga.com, the Dortmund captain has not travelled to Milan for the Group F clash due to flu, and striker Paco Alcacer will also miss out again with his ongoing Achilles problem.

The Bundesliga side should be boosted, though, by the return of Jadon Sancho, who missed Saturday's 1-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach due to a club suspension:

https://twitter.com/Chris78Williams/status/1185513132078325761

Dortmund are top of their Champions League group after a 0-0 draw with Barcelona and 2-0 victory away at Slavia Prague.

A win over Inter would be a huge step for the German club to qualifying for the knockout stages out of arguably the toughest group in the tournament.

The absence of both Reus and Alcacer will make the job harder for BVB at the San Siro.

Between them, the pair have netted 10 goals in the Bundesliga this term. Reus was the only player on the scoresheet against Gladbach as Lucien Favre's side moved to within a point of the top of the table:

The race for top spot remains tight ❗ pic.twitter.com/KyVsqDJ6Zc

— Bundesliga English (@Bundesliga_EN) October 20, 2019

Dortmund have been in fine form recently. They have lost just one game in 2019-20, and the return of Sancho should go some way to making up for Reus' and Alcacer's absences.

After a brilliant 2018-19 campaign, the Englishman has picked up where he left off, netting three goals and providing five assists in the league.

Inter have just a point from their first two Champions League matches of the new season and will be desperate to beat Dortmund to boost their chances of making the last 16.

Romelu Lukaku will be a key threat for the Milan giants after netting his fourth and fifth Serie A goals of the season in Inter's 4-3 win at Sassuolo on Sunday. 

Borussia Dortmund manager Lucien Favre said the decision to leave Jadon Sancho out of the squad for Saturday's clash with Borussia Monchengladbach was a "disciplinary measure."

Per BBC Sport, Sancho was dropped after he made a late return to the club following the recent international break, during which he represented England in their UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying games against the Czech Republic and Bulgaria.

Speaking after Dortmund's 1-0 win, Favre wasn't keen to talk too much about the situation, although offered some insight into why Sancho was missing, per Sacha Pisani of Goal.

"I am not going to comment on that," the Dortmund boss said. "It was a disciplinary measure. Tomorrow is a new day. That's all. It stays internal."

As relayed in the report, Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc provided further details on the 19-year-old's omission:

"We have a responsibility for the club and, in this case, also for the hygiene of the squad. And therefore the decision was without an alternative. [Sancho] trained alone today and we'd like to think he'll be back against Inter [in the UEFA Champions League].

"He is only suspended today [Saturday]. Jadon is a good lad, but he's very young and shot to the top. He might test his limits and that's why we decided to not call him up today."

Even though they were without one of their key attacking players, Dortmund were able to earn a crucial win, with Marco Reus' second-half goal the difference between the sides. The team's Twitter account praised the captain for overcoming illness to feature in the game:

Despite having the flu, Marco insisted on playing today’s game, leading us to the win with his goal.

Our Captain 💛 pic.twitter.com/nKn7nuiF1B

— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) October 19, 2019

After Bayern Munich were held to a 2-2 draw away at Augsburg, Dortmund's win over the league leaders further congested the jam-packed top half of the Bundesliga:

Gladbach—16
Wolfsburg—16
Bayern—15
Dortmund—15
Leipzig—15

The Bundesliga, though 🍿 pic.twitter.com/soLc0FMBaH

— B/R Football (@brfootball) October 19, 2019

Dortmund will be disappointed with Sancho for his tardiness, but it doesn't appear as though the player's breach of discipline will see him left out of the setup for too long. Given how important he has become for the side, supporters will hope to see him back again soon.

Sancho has enjoyed an extraordinary rise over the past couple of campaigns, cementing his status in the Dortmund starting XI and developing into one of the best players in German football despite his tender years.

On the right flank, his speed and trickery has terrified defenders, while his productivity makes him a major threat. Sancho was recently shortlisted for the Golden Boy award, and WhoScored.com took a look at some of his numbers:

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Jadon Sancho vs 🇵🇹 Joao Felix

Which of these two teenagers do you think would be a more worthy winner of this year's Golden Boy award?

📝➡️ https://t.co/7oLC4NseEG pic.twitter.com/R783jEjHbY

— WhoScored (@WhoScored) October 18, 2019

After a huge domestic win on Saturday, the massive games keep on coming for Dortmund.

On Wednesday, they travel to face Inter Milan in the Champions League, and then three days later they are away at bitter rivals Schalke in the Bundesliga. Sancho will surely be desperate to shine in both matches after missing an important fixture on Saturday.

Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc has said "no decision has been made" regarding the future of Jadon Sancho. 

The England international has emerged as one of the best prospects in world football during his time at Dortmund. Unsurprisingly, the winger has been linked with some of the biggest names in the game.

Speaking to Kicker (h/t Sacha Pisani of Goal), Zorc was quizzed on whether the club knew if Sancho would be staying at Dortmund or leaving next summer:

"No decision has been made. But you don't have to be a prophet to know he won't play here for another five years.

"He has taken this positive development [at Dortmund]. I doubt that would have been possible with top English clubs.

"... He's an instinctive footballer, a street footballer, he's always a footballer, but he's always setting new limits. He does not sit back satisfied. He wants to play football successfully and beautifully. That alone is his motivation."

Per Pisani, Manchester United have been strongly linked with a move. According to James Ducker of the Daily Telegraph, the Red Devils are still keeping an eye on Sancho's development.

Sancho's numbers this season have done little to quell the hype building around him. While Dortmund are down in a disappointing eighth position in the Bundesliga after six games, the 19-year-old has been productive throughout the season.

The UEFA Champions League Twitter account relayed the impressive figures the youngster has posted:

Sancho = 🔥🔥🔥

He's been involved in 10 goals in 8 games so far this season 👏#UCL pic.twitter.com/gW5zsk3pxM

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) September 23, 2019

Sancho's most recent goal came in the 2-2 draw at Frankfurt:

https://twitter.com/BBCMOTD/status/1176090079456092160

With that goal, the Three Lions star made some Bundesliga history:

Jadon Sancho is now the youngest player in Bundesliga history to reach 16 league goals 📊

What. A. Player. 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/5FU4giEjtW

— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) September 23, 2019

While that finish was a predatory one, often Sancho's goals are at the end of flowing Dortmund attacks.

The winger has become adept at finding space in the penalty area, with the timing of his runs and searing speed allowing him to get into some prosperous positions. In addition, Sancho is adept at being a creator and shows excellent composure when he bursts infield from wide areas.

There are still parts of his game that require refinement, which is to be expected given his age. Football writer Lars Pollmann commented on a poor display from Sancho in BVB's 2-2 home draw with Werder Bremen on Sunday:

https://twitter.com/LarsPollmann/status/1178284641029165059

Zorc appears aware that serious interest in their star man is inevitable, and it will be fascinating to see how long Dortmund can keep hold of Sancho for.

Given his age and talent, the German giants would be looking for an astronomical offer to be lodged before they agree to any sale. Those who frequent the Westfalenstadion will hope that valuation will deter any potential suitors and Sancho will be at Dortmund for a while yet.

Borussia Dortmund defender Mats Hummels has praised team-mate Jadon Sancho, saying he has the talent to play for the biggest clubs in the world. 

Speaking to Sport Bild (h/t Mirror's Gareth Bicknell), the 30-year-old also talked about Sancho's sky-high potential: "I could imagine him in just about any team in the world. Although he's not mature yet, Jadon is already an outstanding footballer. His one-on-one, the pace. He loves to prepare goals. He is an absolute weapon that even has potential for improvement."

Hummels became a team-mate of Sancho after re-joining Dortmund from Bayern Munich in the summer. He has since watched the 19-year-old score twice and add four assists in four Bundesliga matches already.

The youngster has been a sensational weapon for BVB:

Jadon Sancho's Bundesliga career so far:

• 50 games
• 37 starts
• 22 assists
• 15 goals

A San-sational half-century. pic.twitter.com/398FYoEB2R

— Squawka (@Squawka) September 14, 2019

Here are some of his top Bundesliga highlights:

According to Bicknell, his strong play has attracted the attention of Manchester United, who were linked with the talent throughout summer.

The Red Devils parted with Romelu Lukaku in the summer, selling him to Inter Milan, and that has left them short on star talent in attack. Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial are the main weapons under manager Ole Gunnar Solksjaer, and neither is a natural fit on the right wing, where Sancho thrives.

Despite all of the speculation, Sancho recently told Viasport (h/t Sacha Pisani of Goal) he's only focused on his current club right now:

"I can't tell the future. I just take it game by game. I just wanna give 100 per cent for Borussia Dortmund. I really want to do well with Dortmund. Obviously, I want to win titles and give everything. It's crazy. Everything has come so fast. But I have a great team. They keep me humbled. I just take it game by game and give 100 per cent."

Dortmund have started the season with three wins from four Bundesliga matches and trail leaders RB Leipzig by a single point. They have been drawn in the difficult UEFA Champions League Group F, where they'll battle it out with Barcelona, Inter Milan and Slavia Prague.

Their next outing will be on Sunday, away to Eintracht Frankfurt.

Borussia Dortmund forward Marco Reus has said he hopes Barcelona's Lionel Messi is fit for the UEFA Champions League clash between the two sides on Tuesday.

Messi has yet to feature in a competitive game for the Blaugrana this season due to a calf problem, but has been included in the team's travelling party for the European showdown at the Westfalenstadion.

Speaking ahead of the game, Reus said his team want to test themselves against the best version of Barcelona, including Messi, per AS:

"We want Messi to play, but we cannot influence what tomorrow will look like. We do not want to talk that much about the opponent. Everyone knows that he is the best, but we play at home and want to win.

"A difficult game awaits us. We have to be careful and will we have to suffer a lot in the game. We have to be brave and play our game, put ourselves forward and then hope to score goals."

The match is set to be a crucial one, with Group F poised to be one of the most fiercely contested in the competition. Serie A giants Inter Milan will face Slavia Prague in the other fixture in the pool.

Per the Borussia Twitter account, Messi has previously spoken about how he would like to play in front of the Dortmund crowd:

👏 pic.twitter.com/IEHE2ANMjK

— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) September 16, 2019

While Barcelona will still be the favourites to progress from the group and are among the top contenders to win the Champions League, in Dortmund they will be up against a serious side.

Under manager Lucien Favre, BVB have made major strides and are now among the most exciting attacking sides in European football. On Saturday, they were exceptional in a 4-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga.

Reus was Dortmund's star man in the win, netting two goals and putting in a lot of effort out of possession for the team:

2 - @Amine_000 (@s04_en) and @woodyinho (@BlackYellow) were the only two players to score more than once on MD4 in the #Bundesliga. Derby. pic.twitter.com/Wts4w9gzAb

— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) September 16, 2019

Jadon Sancho also continued his electric start to the campaign, setting up a couple of Dortmund goals, including one for Reus:

∙ Jadon Sancho has played four Bundesliga matches this season.

∙ Jadon Sancho already has five Bundesliga assists this season.

Two more today helped Dortmund to a 4-0 victory 🤩⚡️ pic.twitter.com/G5dPPwDAuI

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) September 14, 2019

After a fantastic win, Dortmund will be confident going into the game with Barcelona and it'll be intriguing to see how the La Liga side cope with what promises to be a hostile atmosphere.

Their previous outing in the Champions League was one to forget, as they were beaten 4-0 by Liverpool in the semi-finals having won the first leg of the tie 3-0. It was the second time in two seasons the Blaugrana collapsed away from home in the second leg of a knockout clash, with Roma mounting a shock comeback in 2018.

With that in mind, the Catalan giants will be desperate to get a win on the board in the Champions League early on away from home, especially at a challenging venue like Dortmund. Fitness permitting, their chances will be enhanced if Messi features.

Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc has confirmed a meeting concerning a move for Jadon Sancho to Manchester United did take place, but the teenager had "no intention" of making the switch in the summer.

Sancho, 19, enjoyed a breakout season with Dortmund in the Bundesliga in 2018-19, when he netted 12 goals and provided 14 assists:

Across Europe's top five leagues, only Eden Hazard (15) registered more assists last season than Jadon Sancho (14).

He's still a teenager. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 pic.twitter.com/SA1YaCxpPO

— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) June 6, 2019

Unsurprisingly, that led to him being linked with a number of Europe's top clubs, including United and Real Madrid.

Zorc has now said there was contact with United but never any movement toward Sancho leaving the Westfalenstadion, per Amazon Prime documentary Inside Borussia Dortmund (h/t James Westwood of Goal):

"A hot topic right now is Sancho and Manchester United. Both his discussions with the club and mine with the consultants. A meeting did take place. Manchester United invited the consultant. But, according to what I know, the consultant told the club that no matter how much money they offer, we won't let him go this summer. But the player also has no intention of taking that step this summer."

At the start of 2019-20, Sancho has picked up where he left off last term. In three Bundesliga games this season, he has scored twice and provided three assists as BVB have beaten Augsburg and Koln and lost to Union Berlin.

In England's 5-3 UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying win over Kosovo on Tuesday, Sancho then netted a double, his first senior international goals in his eighth appearance for the Three Lions:

https://twitter.com/RichJolly/status/1171506375580512262

Sancho moved to Dortmund from Manchester City in 2017 after being denied first-team opportunities by manager Pep Guardiola. It has proved a savvy move, as he has been allowed to flourish at Dortmund, where he has a contract until 2022.

In all likelihood, the likes of United and Real will attempt to sign Sancho again next summer, and Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has said he knows the Englishman will not stay in the Bundesliga forever.

Dortmund will know, though, that the longer Sancho continues to perform at such a high level for them, the bigger the transfer fee they can demand. He is likely already worth more than most European clubs could afford.

City, United and Real are among those who have the financial clout to meet just about any fee Dortmund might demand, and if he is destined for a return to Manchester, Old Trafford seems the more likely destination.

City's attacking options are so plentiful that Sancho may again find his playing time limited despite how good his form has been in Germany. At United, though, he could be a superstar, especially if manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer finds this season that Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford, Daniel James and Mason Greenwood do not constitute a title-challenging attacking unit.