All summer long, the record has barely changed; Manchester United are interested in a transfer for Jadon Sancho.
It’s a line fans have heard a thousand times, to the point of boredom, though it did not feel especially relevant during a frenetic 3-2 victory over Brighton on Saturday lunchtime.
The adopted mantra from United and many of their followers is that the right-wing drastically needs attention, that a marquee addition is the only thing that will solve Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s problems. Solskjaer, to be fair, has never directly said it but the fact he left out Daniel James — the man who filled the right-wing position for most of last season — from his entire matchday squad at Brighton perhaps reflected the Norwegian’s feelings on the situation.
Yet Mason Greenwood, the man who started on the right flank and has done so well since James’ collapse in form, was one of the few United players who shone at the Amex Stadium. His ability to run at pace, yet with composure on the ball, is astonishing for an 18-year-old and on another day he would have notched a goal and an assist, both his and Marcus Rashford’s efforts either side of half-time chalked off for offside.
Put simply, the right-wing position did not appear United’s biggest problem on a day when they were outplayed by Brighton. So with only around a week remaining in the summer window, what next?
United legend Rio Ferdinand was among the few allowed into the Amex to see the crazy game first hand, and on BT Sport punditry duty afterwards he was quick to suggest Sancho should no longer remain the transfer priority.
