CHANGES YELLOW WITH RED: Jadon Sancho, who is embraced by Marco Reus and Raphael Guerreiro after a score in the Bundesliga, will try to excite at “Dream Theater” next season. Photo: FRIEDEMANN VOGEL / EPA
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With 114 goals in 137 games, there are high expectations associated with Manchester United’s upcoming big purchase Jadon Sancho. The experts are in no doubt that the 21-year-old will raise Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s team considerably.
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– It is a fantastic transition for Manchester United. I think he has been absolutely fantastic in the years I have commented on him in the Bundesliga, says Viasat commentator Eivind Bisgaard Sundet, who has followed Borussia Dortmund, Jadon Sancho and German football closely in recent years.
On Wednesday night, several German and British media reported that Sancho is only a medical check away from Manchester United. According to VG’s sources, the 21-year-old costs 85 million euros, something several others report.
Bisgaard Sundet is supported by Jan Åge Fjørtoft and Tor-Kristian Karlsen.
– It is a player that excites people, and that is exactly what Manchester United need, says Fjørtoft.
– It’s a cannon reinforcement. I think Solskjær is so happy now that if he does not plan to build the team around him, he will at least be one of the most central players, says Karlsen.
They are not the only ones who get excited:
– Is so hard to stop
Ole Gunnar Solskjær is said to have been interested in Sancho last year as well. Now the wait seems to be over. Erling Braut Haaland, on the other hand, loses one of his best teammates, who has served Jærbuen time and time again.
– I guess there are some strikers in Manchester who are very happy now, and then there is another striker from Bryne who will miss him very much, says Fjørtoft.
Alfie Haaland, father of Erling Braut Haaland, has already expressed his longing:
– Fuck. All the best, Sancho, you will be missed, he writes Twitter.
—-DIFFERENT TEAM: Erling Braut Haaland and Jadon Sancho won the German Cup together in the 2020/21 season. Now the latter goes to English football and Manchester United. Photo: MARTIN ROSE / POOL
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So, what does Manchester United really get in Sancho? Pretty much, according to experts.
– What is exceptional is that when he has the ball around the opponent’s 16-meter, the last pass is always dangerous, and then he is incredibly precise with the endings. He’s so hard to stop. If you get too close, he plays the trick, if you give him space, he can “curl” it in goal. He has been wildly productive from a very young age, says Bisgaard Sundet.
And he’s not wrong. The numbers from last season testify to an effective player:
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Graphics: www.sofascore.com
– You know he creates something as soon as he gets the ball. Every time he gets it, he tries to challenge. Manchester United have historically always had such a player, says Fjørtoft, and highlights names like Steve Coppell, Lee Sharpe, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo.
– This summer’s big signing
– They will create more chances and have more strings to play on now, says Karlsen, who predicts that Sancho will go straight into the starting lineup.
– What he has shown in the Bundesliga in recent seasons is quite extreme for his age. Those are pretty incredible numbers for such a young player. You get someone who can break patterns and have these extreme one-on-one skills. When you stand and strike against low layers, he can create something out of nothing, he adds.
—-DRIBLEFANT: Jadon Sancho is not afraid to challenge. Here from one of his 20 international appearances for the English national team. Photo: IAN KINGTON / AFP
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– This will be this summer’s big signing. They get more than just a good player: They get one that has been so coveted so this sends a signal that is important to the owners. And Solskjær feels he gets support and the fans know that they have a better team, says Fjørtoft.
Tor-Kristian Karlsen also highlights the signal effect of this signing.
– I do not think they are finished. It’s the buyer’s market right now, and I think the Glazer family (the owners of Manchester United, journ. Note) will win back the fans and get some goodwill. There’s only one way to do that, and that’s to buy players.
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