Soccer

Man Utd target Donyell Malen’s stance on joining as part of Jadon Sancho swap

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Donyell Malen would welcome a Premier League switch in January amid links to Manchester United and a potential swap deal involving banished winger Jadon Sancho, according to reports. United will remain vigilant in anticipation of good value this winter despite the club publicly playing down their plans.

Red Devils football director John Murtough has simmered fans’ expectations by claiming they aren’t likely to be busy.

However, he left the door open for possible deals to help Erik ten Hag refine his squad depth, especially facilitating exits for players unhappy with their game time.

Sancho will fit into that category, not appearing for United since coming off the bench in September’s 3-2 comeback win against Nottingham Forest.

The 23-year-old winger remains banished from Ten Hag’s first-team squad for disciplinary reasons, with little sign of the apology needed to unlock his return.

It’s expected to result in his departure next month, and a second spell at Borussia Dortmund has been touted as one of his options.

Malen has simultaneously been linked with a move away from the Bundesliga giants, unsurprisingly raising the possibility of a swap deal.

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According to ESPN, Malen is ready to leave Dortmund in search of more regular minutes despite starting 11 of their 16 league games this term.

And United are said to remain open-minded about cut-price deals this winter, with intermediaries raising the prospect of Malen and Sancho going in opposite directions.

The report adds that swapping Sancho with the 24-year-old could become an option for United, although direct talks are yet to occur.

Dortmund value Malen at around £25million, meaning a straight swap would represent an almighty loss from the £73m splurged on Sancho two years ago.

But United will be keen to remove him from their payroll ahead of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS starting their efforts to form a more streamlined operation at Old Trafford.

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Malen joined Dortmund from PSV Eindhoven as Sancho’s replacement in the summer of 2021 but hasn’t set the world alight at the Westfalenstadion.

The Netherlands international has registered 25 goals and 16 assists in 96 appearances for BVB and is reportedly looking for a new challenge in England.

United could switch their focus towards a short loan for Sancho if they aren’t tabled a suitable permanent offer in January, contributing to part of his £250,000-a-week salary.

But a swap deal including Malen could be an attractive proposition, considering it would involve adding an extra head that Ten Hag hasn’t had available for the last three months.

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