Borussia Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke has confirmed the club are engaged in talks with Manchester United regarding a loan move for their former winger Jadon Sancho.
Sancho joined United for a reported fee of £73million (€85m) in July 2021 after enjoying a successful four-year stint with Dortmund, recording 103 goal involvements (49 goals, 54 assists) during his final three seasons in Germany.
However, the 23-year-old struggled to replicate that form during his first two campaigns at Old Trafford before being frozen out of the first-team picture this term following a public spat with boss Erik ten Hag.
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Sancho has not been involved in a United squad since disagreeing with Ten Hag’s criticism of his training performances in September, claiming he had been made into a “scapegoat” on social media and subsequently being forced to train away from his team-mates.
With Ten Hag unwilling to reintegrate Sancho, the winger has been strongly linked with a loan move back to Signal Iduna Park this month, and Watzke confirmed talks are ongoing regarding his potential return on Monday.
“We are in dialogue with Manchester United,” Watzke told Sky Sports in Germany.
“We want to bring him to us on loan. That’s no secret. But we are not yet ready to announce a result.”
Still brothers. 🤗 pic.twitter.com/Lv6k9P2Uap
— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) July 31, 2023
Meanwhile, Watzke has confirmed he will stand down from his position – which he has held since 2005 – when his contract expires next year.
“I will no longer renew my contract,” he said. “I will be stepping down from management next year. My 20th anniversary is next year. I had the feeling it was the right time.
“I wanted to be in charge of my own future. I’m very grateful to BVB to have had that privilege and responsibility.
“I will be released from the responsibility for sporting matters in June at the latest. I want to focus on the transition and strategy.
“I came to the final decision at Christmas, I’d been thinking about it for a long time. I thought about leaving in 2022 but I had to stay during Covid.”
During Watzke’s tenure with the club, Dortmund have won two Bundesliga titles, three DFB-Pokals and reached the UEFA Champions League final in 2013, losing to rivals Bayern Munich at Wembley Stadium.
Hans-Joachim #Watzke: „Im nächsten Jahr bin ich 20 Jahre im Amt. Mein Gefühl hat sich verstärkt, dass der Punkt gekommen ist, an dem ich sage: Es reicht jetzt auch irgendwann mal. Ich wollte es frühzeitig öffentlich machen, um den Übergang in den nächsten eineinhalb Jahren zu… pic.twitter.com/wvaWHU4VZY
— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) January 8, 2024
