'We will want him' - Condition made for 'fantastic' Man United loanee to make permanent Premier League move

Man United have spent years trying to recover from a transfer policy that didn’t benefit the club either on or off the pitch.

Michael Carrick has, at least, given a semblance of hope that the squad isn’t as bad as first feared and that with the right game plan, success could be achieved in the future with one or two key additions.

If he is given the job on a permanent basis United fans could well see the return of Marcus Rashford in a move that would instantly make the starting XI stronger. He is the only member of the infamous “Bomb Squad” that would be welcomed back although there has been news about the future of another.

Jadon Sancho given permanent transfer lifeline

When he was signed from Borussia Dortmund, Jadon Sancho was one of Europe’s hottest properties with a ridiculous return in terms of goals and assists. The £75m transfer fee was more than justified even if the reported salary raised more than a few eyebrows. Currently on his third loan spell away from Old Trafford, the England international has been given some words of encouragement about his chances of finding a new home.

When asked if a decision had been made by Aston Villa about Sancho’s future, manager Unai Emery said: “Not yet (not decided). But he’s a fantastic player,” he said, via ESPN. "He will need another contract and maybe it could be here. In case he’s playing his best football, we will want him. Maybe other teams could be involved in the interest for him. The first part of the season was not enough. He was working, he was trying, but he was not achieving the performances needed. I spoke to him a few times about the challenge he has and he must be very demanding in himself, like he is now.

"There’s no time to wait for anyone. We need everyone to be focused, with their qualities and preparation to play helping the team. We believed in him at the start of season, we believed in him in December and we believe in him now and I believe he’s getting better.”

Who should United buy to replace Sancho?

Even if Sancho wasn’t out of contract, it is clearly the right decision to move on from him. United might be moving back to the sort of formation and game plan that utilises wingers but the 25-year old hasn’t shown anything like his Dortmund form since moving to England. As Emery says, there have been glimpses of what he is capable of, but nothing consistent in terms of goals and assists even if his overall level of play has probably been at its highest level since arriving at Old Trafford.

What this does now is free up a lot of space on the wage bill to fund a first-choice winger because that is what Sancho’s place in the squad was supposed to be. United are reported to be leading the chase to sign RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande who has done more than impress with his numbers in the Bundesliga. The biggest difference is that Diomande is capable of playing on either flank and isn’t as one-footed as Sancho. His biggest weapon is his dribbling ability and he could add a maverick quality that has been missing from the United attack for some time.