Manchester United clinching a top four spot is set to be key to their hopes of landing Jadon Sancho this summer.
United want to bring in a wide player who is comfortable on the right wing and have made Borussia Dortmund’s teenage wonder kid Sancho their top target.
They are determined to land Sancho, 18, whose exploits since joining Dortmund from Manchester City have underlined his reputation as one of the best young players in football.
Sancho left City in August 2017 due to concerns about the lack of first-team opportunities he would get to improve as a player had he stayed.
He has received those chances since moving to Dortmund and sees playing at the highest possible level, in Europe’s top club competition, as vital to his ongoing development.
Dortmund are currently Bundesliga leaders and almost certain to be playing in the Champions League next season with Germany’s top four all qualifying directly for next season’s group stage.
United, meanwhile, currently occupy fourth spot in the Premier League but are only a point ahead of Chelsea and Arsenal and remain locked in a battle to reach the Champions League again next season.
For now Dortmund insist Sancho, who is tied to the German giants until 2022, is not for sale at any price.
But an offer in excess of £100m, which would be a record paid by an English club, will be too hard for Dortmund to turn down.
City will benefit from any future sale of Sancho due to a 15% sell-on clause in the deal that took Sancho to Germany.
Sancho has been one of Dortmund’s standout stars this season, scoring eight goals and setting up 13 more in 30 appearances.
He has also made his breakthrough into the England squad this season, winning his first three caps for the senior side.