According to The Sun, Premier League giants Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Liverpool are vying for the services of Borussia Dortmund sensation Jadon Sancho. The former Manchester City prodigy has attracted a lot of attention with his excellent form this season and a move away from the Bundesliga could be on the horizon in the future.
Tottenham, in particular, are keen on signing the 18-year-old wunderkind, who is believed to be valued around £100 million. But, is he a viable target for the Lilywhites?
PLAYER PROFILE
Jadon Sancho has arguably been the most influential attacker for Borussia Dortmund this season along with new signing Paco Alcacer. The Englishman joined the Bundesliga club in August 2017 but has enjoyed astounding success under new coach Lucien Favre, whose wisdom and experience has helped the 18-year-old flourish in the Bundesliga this season.
Indeed, Favre has utilized the qualities of Sancho, to the fullest, using him as a super-sub for the most part of the season so far. His sheer pace and dynamism coupled with his excellent trickery on the flanks have often infused a spark to the Dortmund attack in the second-half, ultimately helping them obtain a positive result.
Seven games into the season, Sancho has already notched up one goal and seven assists in the Bundesliga while recording an impressive nine assists in all competitions, making him the most productive goal provider in Europe’s top five leagues so far this season. As a result, the 18-year-old was given his first England call-up in the upcoming matches against Croatia and Spain.
Although Sancho’s overall statistics might not be as impressive given the fact that he has been most often used as a super-sub, we can certainly expect the teenager to become a more prominent part of the Dortmund starting lineup after the international break.
SANCHO TO TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR: DOES IT MAKE SENSE?
PROS
Jadon Sancho could be an excellent signing for Tottenham Hotspur. His dynamic style of play in the final third is ideally suited to the Premier League. Even though he doesn’t have the physical prowess necessary for a Premier League attack yet, what he lacks in strength, he makes up for it with his speed and trickery.
Sancho’s ability to drift past the opposition in the final third will also make him a right fit under Mauricio Pochettino’s tactical philosophy. Furthermore, he is very consistent with his performances, which has been rather evident this season and he’s also as direct as they come, making him tailor-made for a club like Tottenham Hotspur who thrive on an attacking philosophy.
CONS
However, splurging a whopping £100 million on an 18-year-old is somewhat unconventional in Tottenham’s transfer policy. With someone like Harry Kane already in the ranks, Levy might be better off focusing attention on retaining his services along with the rest of the team’s core instead of spending such a colossal amount on someone who is unlikely to improve the first eleven anytime soon.
From the player’s point of view, a move right now does not make much sense. He is settling in nicely and is performing and getting noticed. He decided to take the tough decision to snub a Pep Guardiola-managed Manchester City and has proven his doubters wrong.
Dortmund are leading the Bundesliga and are in with a good chance of throwing a spanner in Bayern Munich’s monopoly over the title. The setting is perfect for Sancho and a move away at this stage does not have the legs to be supported by logic right now.
Stats Courtesy: Whoscored