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I woke up to the same question from a few different group chats. Is Jadon Sancho actually leaving Manchester United this week? The short version. Roma have put an offer on the table and are in talks with United over a permanent deal. United have told Sancho to find a new club before the deadline, and the player is open to Roma if the money and structure work. That is the core of today’s reporting.
Today’s state of play
| Item | What’s being reported | Sources |
| Bid submitted | Roma have made an offer worth about £20 million for a permanent transfer. | |
| Talks active | Roma and United are in negotiations over a straight sale. | |
| Player stance | Sancho is prepared to move to Roma if terms are agreed. Italian reports say he has given the move a green light. | |
| United’s position | United want him out and have told him to find a new club before the window shuts. | |
| Other interest | Juventus and Beşiktaş have been linked at points this summer. |
I treat any single-source transfer line with healthy caution. When separate outlets match on the same contours, I take it more seriously. ESPN says talks are on. Sky-linked reporting in Italy pegs the fee range around £20–23 million. The Athletic and Yahoo mirrors are in the same neighborhood. That gives us a decent picture of the negotiations without pretending a medical is booked.
How we got here in one page
Sancho’s United story has been tangled for almost two years. A public fallout with Erik ten Hag in September 2023 pushed him out of the first-team group, then a January 2024 loan back to Borussia Dortmund restarted his on-field rhythm and ended with a Champions League final appearance. Last season he went on loan to Chelsea. He scored in the Conference League final as Chelsea beat Real Betis 4–1 in Wrocław. Then Chelsea walked away from making the move permanent. United’s new manager, Ruben Amorim, excluded several attackers from his preseason plans and told them to find moves. That is the chain that leads to Roma.
Timeline: the last 18 months
| Date | Event | What happened |
| Sep 2023 | Exiled from United squad | Training apart from the first team after a public dispute. |
| Jan 2024 | Loan to Dortmund | Regular minutes and a run to the Champions League final. |
| Aug 2024 | Season-long loan to Chelsea | A season-long move was agreed upon. Chelsea later chose not to buy. |
| May 28, 2025 | Conference League final | Scored in Chelsea’s 4–1 win over Betis. |
| July 2025 | Back at United, training away | Amorim signals unwanted players should secure exits. |
| Aug 2025 | Roma bid | An offer of around £20m sparks active talks with United. |
What each side wants
| Party | Priority right now | Why it matters |
| Manchester United | A permanent sale at a fee close to £20–25m. Reduction of wage bill. | Clears a long-running saga and opens room for late-window business. |
| Jadon Sancho | A clean reset with a manager who trusts him, on sustainable wages. | Two loans revived his form. He needs stability and starts. |
| Roma | A wide forward who can create and score in Gasperini’s system, on a deal that protects their budget. | Reports suggest a permanent offer, with loan structures also discussed. |
From a football perspective, Roma makes sense. Gasperini’s wingers are asked to attack gaps, combine in tight zones, and work hard without the ball. Sancho’s best Dortmund and Chelsea spells showed he can thread final passes and finish when he arrives in the box late. If the buy-in is there, the fit is coherent.
The form note that matters
Last season was not a vanity loan. Sancho played 41 times for Chelsea, producing and finishing in big moments, including a goal in the Conference League final. That does not erase the United chapter. It does remind clubs what they are buying. He is 25, he still carries value in his touch and decision-making, and teams that create advantages high up the pitch can use those qualities. Reuters, the Guardian, and UEFA all logged his contribution on that night in Wrocław.
What could slow this down
- Salary and structure. Italian reporting suggests personal terms are in range, but wages and bonuses will decide whether this is a straight sale or something more creative. Roma’s recent business points to careful wage control.
- Contract mechanics at United. Different outlets frame the remaining term differently, with options in play. That affects the fee and amortization on United’s books. Either way, United’s stance is to move him now.
- Competing suitors. Juventus and Beşiktaş have circled this summer. If they return with concrete bids, Roma’s margin narrows.
My read
I do not think this is posturing. When ESPN says United has told Sancho to find a new club, that sets a strong internal signal. Roma’s £20m bracket is consistent across Sky-linked and Athletic-adjacent reporting. The numbers are not spectacular, yet they are clean enough to close if personal terms settle. If it drags, expect the loan-with-obligation idea to resurface because it spreads the cost and eases wages in year one.