In the latest transfer news it appears that Nathan Ake to Manchester City is going to happen, while talk of Jadon Sancho to Manchester United is heating up once again.
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Starting at Manchester United, the Daily Star reports that Jadon Sancho to Manchester United is reaching crunch time.
According to the report, Manchester United will make a $101 million offer to Borussia Dortmund for Sancho, 20, in the next week after Champions League action is or isn’t confirmed and then move on if the offer isn’t accepted.
Per the report, Marcus Rashford wants his close friend Sancho to join him at Man United and is pushing hard for the move to happen, even though Dortmund want closer to $130 million.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has long wanted to strengthen his options out wide and if Sancho arrived it would allow Mason Greenwood to play centrally more often.
We’ve said it many times, but do Manchester United really need to sign Sancho? He’s an incredible player and one Dortmund have admitted will not stay with them for much longer, but with Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Greenwood and Bruno Fernandes around, Man United are stacked with attacking options.
That said, when you look beyond that quartet you have Daniel James, Juan Mata, Odion Ighalo and Jesse Lingard and there’s a big drop-off there. If Manchester United is serious about not only being a top four side but challenging for trophies, they need to keep signing players of Sancho’s caliber.
The English winger has been chased by Chelsea and other huge clubs across Europe but Manchester United appears to be the perfect fit for him.
Moving to Manchester City, a report from The Guardian states that City will have to pay a $44.5 million fee to Bournemouth to buy center back Nathan Ake. The report goes on to state that Man City are waiting until Bournemouth are officially relegated as Ake’s asking price could drop.
Ake, 25, has been incredibly consistent over the past few years at Bournemouth and the Dutch international is the Cherries’ major asset to sell to offset relegation from the Premier League.
He has suffered with injuries this season and when he has been out Bournemouth have missed him massively. A ball-playing center back who is dangerous in the attacking box as well as being astute positionally and brave in his own box, Ake has everything you would want from a modern center back.
Pep Guardiola and Man City badly need defensive upgrades and with Chelsea, Manchester United and others wanting to sign Ake as his former club Chelsea are believed to have a buy-back clause in his current contract. If Manchester City are able to sign the Dutchman this will be a coup. Ake knows he will probably start next season alongside Aymeric Laporte given the poor form of John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi this season.