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Man United's winger woes worsen as Fiorentina's Federico Chiesa looks another Jadon Sancho situation

Fiorentina's Italian forward Federico Chiesa - AFP / GETTY
Fiorentina's Italian forward Federico Chiesa - AFP / GETTY

Manchester United had a loan enquiry turned down for Italy winger Federico Chiesa after failing to make a breakthrough in Jadon Sancho negotiations with Borussia Dortmund.

United have spoken to Sancho’s Bundesliga club over striking a late deal in the window for their No1 target but the price put forward was below Dortmund’s asking price of £108million, which has not changed over the summer.

While the deal is not dead, there are just five days left to complete the biggest transfer by a Premier League club and it has led to United casting a wide net over alternative players on loan.

Fiorentina were not willing to consider a loan for Chiesa, 22, who is wanted in a £45million permanent deal to Juventus. Watford’s Ismaila Sarr is also only available for a cash deal rather than an initial season-long move.

United have also looked at taking Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele for the rest of the season, although his manager, Ronald Koeman, wants him to stay at the Nou Camp. There are also doubts over the player wanting to leave Barca.

"They are decisions on the part of the club and the player,” Koeman said. "As we have seen, I am going to count on him. He has not played from the beginning because there are more players and Ansu (Fati) has proven to be very good for this team. He was better physically the first weeks. But today he trained well and I'm going to count on him."

Jadon Sancho of Borussia Dortmund - Getty
Jadon Sancho of Borussia Dortmund - Getty

Sancho has been the No1 target for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer this summer but Dortmund have been firm on their £108million valuation of the England forward. He has extended his contract at Westfalenstadion to 2023 which means his club are under no immediate pressure to reduce their asking price of €120million.

Recruiting a player on loan would allow them to return for Sancho at the end of the season but United have encountered the problem of rival clubs unwilling to release players unless their asking price is met for a permanent transfer.

Former United captain Gary Neville has accused his old club of being “appalling” in the market this window, given clubs have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic and players should be easier to buy.

They have signed Donny van de Beek in a £40million deal from Ajax but the pursuit of Sancho has dragged into the final week of the window. Dortmund had initially set a deadline of Aug 10 so Lucien Favre would have time to prepare his squad for the season without Sancho.

Neville also retweeted Jason Burt’s Telegraph interview with Sevilla director of football Monchi, where the Spaniard questions why United do not have a similar role to his. It comes off the back of criticism from Patrice Evra over United’s transfer business under vice-chairman Ed Woodward.

“It’s appalling that in this market which is probably the easiest in PL history to get transfers done that United haven’t done more yet!” wrote Neville on Twitter. “They must get Ole a CB (centre-back), LB (left-back) and Forward pre deadline! The others are managing to get things over the line why not United!”

When accused of putting pressure on United to panic in the market, he replied: “Panic Buy! They’ve needed these positions filling for 12 months, had a national lockdown to regroup and re-set and ample time to manoeuvre deals to a conclusion.”