Manchester United’s summer transfer window of the 2021/22 season did not quite work out as planned. Then-manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer brought in three major signings and had high hopes of toppling Manchester City at the top of the Premier League and returning the former glory of his side back to Old Trafford.
The headline signing that summer for the Red Devils was Cristiano Ronaldo, who returned to United following over a decade away. The legendary Portuguese striker had an impressive return to Old Trafford, but his side failed to capitalise on his 24 goals in all competitions and win a trophy.
Raphael Varane was a more successful addition to the club, although injuries really hampered his three-year spell at Old Trafford. The Frenchman played just 29 games in all competitions in his first year at Old Trafford.
However, things did not quite work out as every United fan had hoped. Solskjaer’s signings didn’t work on the whole, and he was sacked in November. The Norwegian never did manage to get his hands on a title during his time as United manager, to add to all the trophies he won as a player at Old Trafford.
Only one of his signings from that fateful summer remains, but he could depart the club this summer.
Winger could leave Man Utd
The player in question here is England international winger Jadon Sancho. The 24-year-old has had a tough season for United and has spent the second half of the campaign on loan at his former club Borussia Dortmund.
According to reputable journalist Fabrizio Romano, United bosses “remain 100% decided on selling” the winger, regardless of who is in charge at the club. This comes after Sancho and manager Erik Ten Hag’s public fallout at the start of last season.
The club are thought to be looking for a fee of around £40m, according to Romano. It is not just Dortmund who are interested in the permanent return of the Englishman, with Sancho thought to be of interest to other unnamed clubs.
If he did leave Old Trafford permanently, it would see United save a considerable amount of money on wages.
The winger was on a whooping £250k-per-week two seasons ago, which was since reduced to around £190k per week in the 2023/24 campaign, according to Capology.
Sancho exit could be Forlan 2.0
It has been a rocky time at United so far for Sancho. The 24-year-old has scored just 12 goals and registered six assists in 82 games for the Red Devils so far. He only showed flashes of his form during his first spell at Signal Iduna Park, which led to United buying him for £73m in 2021.
Should United sell Sancho this summer, it could lead him to rediscover his best form in a new environment. He is clearly a good player, having scored 53 goals and registering 67 assists for Dortmund across both spells at the club.
Games
158
82
Goals
53
12
Assists
67
6
Stats from Transfermarkt
If that were to be the case, it would be reminiscent of another United sale from years gone by, legendary Uruguayan striker Diego Forlan.
He joined the club in 2002 from Independiente for a fee of £6.9m. However, Forland struggled in Red, scoring just 17 times in 98 games. He became a cult hero in 2002, for scoring twice against Liverpool at Anfield, but struggled to find the back of the net on more occasions.
However, upon leaving Old Trafford, the striker found his best form. Firstly, for Villarreal, where he scored 59 goals and registered four assists in 127 games, winning the Golden Boot in 2004/05 for scoring 25 goals. He then moved to Atletico Madrid, where he scored 96 goals in 198 games, whilst registering 31 assists.
Forlan once again won the Golden Boot in 2008/09, after scoring 32 times in 33 La Liga outings.
His exploits for Urguary were also impressive. The striker played 122 times for his country, scoring 36 times. However, six of those games came in World Cup campaigns, where he made ten appearances in total.
Sometimes, a change of environment can be exactly what a player needs. Forlan is a prime example, of that, and once he left United, he excelled. Perhaps Sancho will be similar in that sense.
He is clearly a talented player, but the environment is everything, and the 24-year-old could explode once more should he depart Old Trafford.
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