Chelsea will pay a £5m penalty to return Jadon Sancho to Manchester United after his loan expires on 30 June.
Chelsea will purchase Liam Delap from Ipswich for £30m after agreeing on personal terms. Sancho was loaned to them last summer with an option to buy for £25m.
Chelsea might pay a penalty clause to terminate the agreement and decide whether to buy the 25-year-old. Chelsea, who are considering a deal for Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens to sign a right-footed winger who can play on the left before the Club World Cup, were unlikely to sign Sancho due to his inconsistent play.
The Enzo Maresca system uses wide players. Sancho has a chance to shine and his quality has fluctuated. He scored in the Conference League final against Real Betis last week and helped Chelsea qualify for the Champions League.
Sancho, who joined Manchester United from Dortmund in 2021, struggled to maintain a starting spot and fell out of form after Christmas. Chelsea like Sancho’s attitude and potential, but they worry about his consistency. They failed to agree on a lower salary for the former Dortmund player in keeping with the club’s wage policy.
Since Sancho has a year left on his contract, returning to United is tricky. His tumultuous four-year stint at Old Trafford led to a loan to Dortmund after fighting with Erik ten Hag.
When United sacked Ten Hag and recruited Ruben Amorim last November, Sancho had joined Chelsea. Sancho may be considered for preseason by Amorim. United want to overhaul their roster and trade unwanted players after missing out on European qualification.
Chelsea may also sign a goalkeeper. They want to trade Robert Sánchez and Djordje Petrovic and have questioned Milan about Mike Maignan. The France No. 1’s contract expires next year. Next month, Maignan, 30, would become Chelsea’s oldest player.
Chelsea has inquired about Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford. Newcastle is reportedly showing more interest in the 22-year-old, who will lose Joan García to Barcelona.
