Man Utd close on double transfer as Jadon Sancho wage cut plays key role

There was a real chance on Monday morning that one of the two final members of Manchester United’s ‘Bomb Squad’ would be remaining at Old Trafford, but now Jadon Sancho looks set to move to Aston Villa – potentially crossing paths with Emi Martinez

Aston Villa have agreed a loan deal for Manchester United outcast Jadon Sancho. The 25-year-old is set for a switch that will see him spend the remainder of the 2025-26 season at Villa Park.

Sancho had started Monday looking likely to remain at Old Trafford, one of two members of Manchester United’s ‘Bomb Squad’ still banished from the first-team squad at the club’s Carrington training ground – the other being Tyrell Malacia. Now Villa, who have been restricted by their need to adhere to UEFA financial regulations during the summer, are pushing to get a deal over the line after a breakthrough with the player’s camp.

They have been looking for a wide player to replace Leon Bailey, since his loan move to Roma, and have turned to Sancho who is in the final year of his United contract, although they do have an option to extend. Sancho spent last season on loan at Chelsea, where he made 41 appearances, before they paid United £5m NOT to sign him permanently, having initially agreed a £25m obligation as part of his loan deal.

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Sancho currently earns just over £200k-a-week at United, having incurred a 25 percent pay cut due to the club’s lack of Champions League football. That is a figure United are keen to get off their books and is one that Villa are more able to take up – they’ll pay roughly 80 percent plus a small loan fee -, particularly as United look to take Emi Martinez to be their new No.1.

As revealed by Mirror Football, the Red Devils are pushing with a shock deadline day move for the Argentina stopper, with Martinez himself in line to pick up around £200k-a-week at Old Trafford. The Reds rejected the chance to sign the Argentine international earlier in the summer when it was deemed that a deal would be too expensive.

But they’re now back in after members of the club’s hierarchy moved to sanction a costly short-term solution with Martinez instead of planning for the future with Royal Antwerp’s highly-coveted young stopper Senne Lammens, whom the club’s goalkeeping scout, Tony Coton, has been pushing for.

However, United’s top brass feel that signing the former Arsenal keeper is a gamble they have to take, even though the club are flirting with PSR problems having already spent more than £200million on new signings this summer. Martinez was left out of the Villa team by a furious Unai Emery for the 3-0 defeat by Crystal Palace on Sunday, with the two sides looking to get a deal done.

If they can’t, then the door is still open for Lammens to complete his move.

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