Manchester United have signed Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund for £73m.
Sancho, whose move to Old Trafford was agreed in principle on July 1, completed a medical earlier this month after his participation at Euro 2020.
He has signed a five-year deal at United, with an option of a further year.
The 21-year-old joins the Premier League club after four years in the Bundesliga with Dortmund, where he won the German Cup in his final season and scored 50 goals across 137 appearances.
Manchester City retain a sell-on clause for their former youth-team player, whose contract in Germany was due to run until the summer of 2023.
“I’ll always be grateful to Dortmund for giving me the opportunity to play first-team football, although I always knew that I would return to England one day,” Sancho told United’s official website.
“The chance to join Manchester United is a dream come true and I just cannot wait to perform in the Premier League.
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“This is a young and exciting squad and I know, together, we can develop into something special to bring the success that the fans deserve.
“I am looking forward to working with the manager and his coaching team to further develop my game.”
United had a long-standing interest in Sancho and attempted to sign him last summer, but were put off by Dortmund’s £108m valuation.
Dortmund’s asking price for Sancho dropped to £85m by the start of this summer, with United able to negotiate a further £12m drop in the valuation.
Sancho becomes Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s second signing ahead of the new season following the addition of goalkeeper Tom Heaton earlier in the transfer window.
Solskjaer added: “Jadon epitomises the type of player I want to bring to the club, he is a forward player in the best traditions of Manchester United.
“He will form an integral part of my squad for years to come and we look forward to seeing him blossom.
“His goals and assists records speak for themselves and he will also bring tremendous pace, flair and creativity to the team.”
It could be argued Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have more pressing needs in other areas. Many fans might prefer a central defender.
But Sancho has emerged as one of the world’s most exciting young players in recent years and it is easy to understand why United were so determined to finally get their man.
Manchester United will host rivals Leeds United at Old Trafford on the opening weekend of the 2021/22 Premier League season.
United face a possibly season-defining run of games in October and November, which starts with a trip to Leicester on October 16, the first showdown with Liverpool at Old Trafford on October 23, and a visit to Tottenham on October 30.
November 6 marks the first Manchester derby of the season as champions Manchester City travel to Old Trafford, before United head to Champions League winners Chelsea on November 27 before rounding off the month by hosting Arsenal on November 30.
Source: Business - cnbc.com
