Manchester United attacker Jadon Sancho - currently on loan at Chelsea - has reportedly emerged as a transfer target for a surprise Premier League team this summer.
The former Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City starlet joined the Blues on a temporary deal in January, with an obligation to make the move permanent for around £25m if certain conditions are met.
However, Sancho has failed to cut the mustard under Enzo Maresca in recent weeks, and it has been claimed that a loophole in the terms of his agreement could see Chelsea back out of signing him permanently.
Rather than fork out the £25m to keep Sancho, Chelsea could apparently decide to pay Man United a 'penalty fee' to send the Englishman back to Old Trafford, where his contract only runs until the end of next season.
Even though Erik ten Hag is long gone, there is ostensibly no chance of Sancho reviving his Man United career under Ruben Amorim, and a permanent exit is expected to materialise this summer regardless of Chelsea's decision.
Wolverhampton Wanderers 'emerge as suitors' for Sancho deal
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If the Blues opt against keeping Sancho - who has scored two goals and provided seven assists in 29 games for the West London giants - FootballTransfers claims that Wolves could throw their hat into the ring.
The West Midlands side have supposedly emerged as 'serious contenders' to bring the England international to Molineux, where he could replace the in-demand Matheus Cunha, who is expected to head for the exit door.
Wolves apparently feel that Sancho could effectively fill the Cunha void and would be a 'bargain' signing ahead of the 2025-26 season, as Man United should accept a cut-price fee given their desire to get him off the books.
Vitor Pereira's side will also not be short of cash if both Cunha and much-coveted left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri are sold, and they would supposedly have no qualms about reinvesting some of that money into a deal for Sancho.
The 25-year-old has only managed 12 goals and six assists in 83 matches for Man United, who are set to take a significant hit on the £73m they paid to sign him from Dortmund in the summer of 2021.
Wolves' Sancho interest raises possibility of audacious swap deal
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Whether Sancho is willing to join a team with no European prospects is another question entirely, but Man United would be in no position to reject a reasonable approach from Wolves this summer, and they could even use their rivals' interest to their advantage.
The Red Devils have inevitably been mentioned as one of the teams reportedly interested in signing Cunha, who did sign a new long-term deal at Molineux a few months ago but has confirmed that he is ready to take the next step.
The South American's market value is far higher than Sancho's at present, but Wolves' interest in Sancho raises the possibility of a part-exchange deal with both players heading in opposite directions.
Man United would surely still have to pay Wolves a cash sum on top of sending Sancho to Molineux, but the inclusion of the unwanted winger would certainly help drive the price down and benefit both parties.
Ben Knapton
