With the Champions League done and dusted after Sunday night’s final, it’s now time for everyone’s focus to shift towards the summer transfer window. Sure, the delayed end to the season means plenty of deals have gotten done already, but there’s still a lot of work to be done before the next campaign rolls around.

One of the most prominent transfer sagas of the year is centered all around Jadon Sancho. The Englishman has become a star at Borussia Dortmund, lighting up the Bundesliga as a teenager, which is a truly remarkable feat.

After a few seasons at the Signal Iduna Park, many expected Sancho to make a marquee move back home to England, with Premier League giants Chelsea and Manchester United the early favorites to secure his signature.

However, as time goes on, a potential deal seems less and less likely.

Luckily for Sancho, that might end up being a good thing.

Stable surroundings

Sancho is in such a good place right now that he doesn’t really need to leave.

Dortmund are a club that’s known for developing young talent, and Sancho is a prime example of that. Coming in as a 17 year old, the Englishman immediately got chances with the first team, and made the most of them.

Since then, Sancho has only gotten better and better, and is now one of the best wingers on the planet. Able to score and assist, his amount of goal contributions is at near the very top of the European standings. The numbers he has been putting up are only comparable to Lionel Messi, which says it all really.

Now, he’s surrounded by fellow youth phenoms, who will all have their sights set on picking up trophies this season. 

Erling Haaland hit the ground running at the Signal Iduna Park after joining in January, scoring goals for fun during the end of the campaign. The scariest thing was the forward wasn’t even fully acclimated to life in Germany, so just imagine the damage he can do with a full preseason under his belt.

Then there’s Giovanni Reyna, who will support Sancho on the opposite wing. The American broke into the first team setup this past year and has proven why there’s so much hype surrounding him. Able to do almost everything going forward, the 17 year old is already a nightmare for opposing defenders to deal with, and will only get better with time.

Lastly, there’s Jude Bellingham, who the club signed for almost 10 million pounds from Birmingham City a month ago. One of the hottest prospects in all of world football, the German side had to beat out a number of other teams to bring him in. The midfielder can get things done on both sides of the ball, and seems set to make an instant impact despite how young he is.

With more experienced names like Mats Hummels, Marco Reus, Thorgan Hazard, and Julian Brandt, Dortmund know they have enough to challenge on the domestic and continental level.

Sancho, meanwhile, will continue to grow in an environment he is comfortable in while winning loads of games in the process. 

No better options elsewhere

That might not happen if he leaves.

There are better teams than Dortmund out there, of course, but none of them are likely interested in signing Sancho.

Bayern Munich love buying players from their rivals, but with Serge Gnabry, Kingsley Coman, and new arrival Leroy Sane, the Champions League winners have no reason to get Sancho as well.

In La Liga, Real Madrid are also covered, while FC Barcelona are in the midst of a full blown crisis, so joining them wouldn’t be the best idea at the moment.

It’s a similar story for the Premier League’s two best sides. Liverpool and Manchester City have enough talent out wide, and they’ll be more focused on improving other areas of the pitch. Many expect a move back home to England, but the rest of the big six aren’t really suitable locations either.

Chelsea have seemingly spent, or plan to spend, all their money. They’ve already bought Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner, while also maintaining interest in the likes of Kai Havertz, Ben Chilwell, and Thiago Silva.

Spurs and Arsenal, meanwhile, don’t have enough cash. The London clubs have both tried to limit spending in recent seasons, so neither will be open to the idea of matching Sancho’s hefty price tag.

That leaves Manchester United, who are his most likely destination. However, just like everyone else, there are problems with this move as well.

The Red Devils may have snuck into the top four this past season, qualifying for the Champions League in the process, but they’re still far from being an elite team once again. They still don’t have a distinct playstyle under coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, often struggling against teams who sit deep and absorb pressure. There’s a plan in place, but it’s unclear if that plan is the right one for the future.

United, like the teams mentioned prior, also need to focus on fixing holes on other sides of the pitch. Their front three of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, and Mason Greenwood have plenty of potential, but signing Sancho would force one of the three to the bench. Meanwhile, the midfield and backline are still incomplete.

Then there’s the fee. United aren’t the best when it comes to completing big money moves in a timely manner, and they’ll likely try to haggle with Dortmund for as long as possible. The hope is that the German side eventually ask for less, but if they don’t, then the Red Devils will be in trouble.

All things considered, going to Old Trafford this summer would be a big risk for Sancho.

The move might happen one day, but for now, Sancho would be better off staying at Dortmund for another year.