Chelsea have reportedly identified two alternatives to Jadon Sancho ahead of the summer transfer window.
The Manchester United winger is currently spending the season on loan at Stamford Bridge, it having been well documented that there are certain terms in place where a permanent deal can be pushed through.
However, with Sancho failing to overly impress during his stint in West London, Chelsea will realistically give consideration to exercising a get-out clause.
Rather than spend in the region of £25m to sign Sancho on a long-term contract, the Blues can allegedly pay approximately £5m to send the 24-year-old back to Old Trafford.
According to BBC Sport, there are already at least two names on Chelsea's shortlist that are viewed as potential replacements for the England international.
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Who are Chelsea considering?
The report suggests that Man United's Alejandro Garnacho and Borussia Dortmund's Jamie Gittens remain viewed as targets by the Chelsea hierarchy.
Both players have previously been linked with a move to Enzo Maresca's side, only for deals to fail to get off the ground in recent transfer windows.
Despite putting his best run of form together under Ruben Amorim before the March international break, Garnacho has generally failed to impress the Portuguese.
In sharp contrast, Gittens has emerged as one of Dortmund's most prized assets, chipping in with 11 goals and three assists in Bundesliga and Champions League contests during 2024-25.
While each of the duo would cost considerably more than Sancho, Chelsea may be willing to invest in someone who they feel offers more of a goal threat in the final third.
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Worth an upgrade?
Although Sancho has previously scored freely in his first stint with Dortmund, he has now netted just five times since the start of 2023-24, adding a further eight assists.
At £25m for a 24-year-old England international, Chelsea officials may feel that the acquisition is worth the risk, but negotiating a deal for one of the other two appears to make more sense at this stage.
Garnacho may be available for a fee in the region of £50m, United eager to raise transfer funds in order to bolster their position with the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability regulations.
Realistically-speaking, Dortmund may request marginally more for Gittens, whose return in front of goal is on the up, while the Reading-born wideman could be open to signing for Chelsea having previously spent a brief period in the club's youth ranks during his early years.
Darren Plant
