The Jadon Sancho Alternatives for Man United to Consider

A name that has been linked with United for many years is Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele. The French winger has been rumoured to be in with a move to Manchester since his Borussia Dortmund days before his £120m move to the Nou Camp in 2017 and was seemingly very close to joining them last season, but reportedly turned down the move.

The 23-year-old has suffered a long list of injuries but looks as though he’s finally having a good run for the Catalan giants this season. Dembele has made 22 appearances in La Liga this season, starting 12 and he’s also made seven Champions League appearances, four of which he started, scoring three goals and assisting twice.

He’s also very two-footed and can be a threat on either side, which is no doubt something that benefits a United front line that still switches things around regularly. Dembele likely wouldn’t come cheap, but it’s also unlikely he’d cost around the astronomical figure that was paid for him by Barcelona, and at 23, it could still be a great investment.

Memphis Depay could be another winger Solskjaer’s side could turn to with minimal transfer negotiations needed. United have a buy-back clause in the Lyon winger’s current contract, meaning that they get the first move on a transfer for him before his contract runs out at the end of this season. There was plenty of promise when the former PSV Eindhoven man made the move to United back in 2015, even seeing him given the famous number seven shirt that had been held by legends such as Cristiano Ronaldo and George Best. Depay, however, struggled tremendously, so much so that United settled for just £15m in his sale to Lyon.

The Dutchman has been a revelation for the French outfit since his arrival there, however, even seeing him become the captain of the side in recent seasons and move back to being one of the best in the respective league in why he plays. The 27-year-old has recorded an impressive 69 goals and 51 assists in the 167 appearances he’s made in all competitions since arriving at the Groupama Stadium.

This season alone Depay has hit 14 goals in Ligue 1, with only Kylian Mbappe of Paris Saint-Germain scoring more, which in itself is a feat. Though he has predominantly played as a left winger or even a centre forward for the French outfit, his pace and trickery and comfort on both feet would make him a good choice as a right-winger, also giving him the opportunity to redeem himself after his disappointing first spell in England. With his contract ending soon, United would need to act fast to capture Depay or face stiff competition from around the world.

An option that doesn’t require United delving into the transfer market is to use the winger that arrived in January is Amad Diallo. The youngster looks a very promising starlet after being eased into his Old Trafford career so far. The 18-year-old scored three and assisted three in his first two games in England, playing for the United development squad.

The ex-Atalanta man also made three substitute appearances for the senior team and got off the mark for the first team recently against Milan in the Europa League, showing his creativity to flick the ball in with his head in a Chicharito-esque manner. Diallo still looks like a raw talent currently, but has shown his trickery, pace, and agility whenever he’s made a cameo for the Red Devils.

The youngster's ability to cut in on his favoured left foot or stand a man up and beat him makes him look a real talent for the future. An extended run in the team towards the end of this season could provide the experience that could see the Ivory Coast youngster progress into a first-team player in the near future.

Federico Chiesa could be a very good winger for United to target, after the Italian has impressed on loan at Juventus from Fiorentina this season, and with the eyes on him after a double against Porto, it's clear he's a wanted man.

The 23-year-old still has a lot of potential and has been one of the most influential players under Andrea Pirlo. He’s got seven goals and seven assists in the league for the Old Lady, as well as four goals and four assists in his eight Champions League appearances, including scoring twice in that incredible second leg against Porto recently that dramatically saw his side fall short.

The speedy winger is direct and beats defenders for fun with his dribbling abilities, as well as possessing a good shot. Chiesa could be a worthwhile target instead of Sancho.

Another talent from the Serie A that is worth a look is Napoli’s Hirving Lozano. The Mexican winger is a right-footed winger that’s been making a big impact in Italy since his arrival from PSV back in 2019 and his pace would match United perfectly.

The 25-year-old has been a bright spark for the Naples outfit, with his speed as well as his clinical finishing ability making him a force to be reckoned with in Italy’s top tier and one of the standouts in a Napoli side that is just five points of champions Juventus.

Lozano has provided 13 goals and four assists in all competitions this season for the Italian club and it’s rumoured that he fancied a move to United when he was leaving the Netherlands, but it was Napoli that got his signature instead.

He wouldn't come cheap, but he might just be perfect for United.

By Jordan Edmonds