Dean Jones’ Transfer Rumours: Save Sancho!

The transfer window is open and each week here at William Hill we will be breaking down three big transfer rumours to decipher just how potential deals are unfolding.

This week the big story surrounds Jadon Sancho leaving Manchester United, while Kalvin Phillips waits for news on his next destination and Fulham fans cling to hope that star midfielder Joao Palhinha will see out another transfer window…

Jadon Sancho 

Save Sancho! He needs to be playing football again and Dortmund first touched base over the possibility of taking Sancho on loan a couple of months back.

There were even proposals over an 18-month deal but at the time even sources in Germany were playing down the chances of him returning to Signal Iduna Park, partly because the side already had an array of attacking options.

Dortmund continue to struggle to make their mark in Bundesliga though and have fallen 15 points behind league leaders Bayer Leverkusen.

Manager Edin Terzic told bosses he needs someone with more creativity from wide positions and Sancho was again identified as a player with the ball-carrying skills that can give them a boost in the second half of the season.

It would be a surprise if this deal does not happen by the weekend.

Sources at both ends of the negotiations suspect that an agreement will be found over the loan fee and wages because it is in everyone’s interest that Sancho is back playing at a top level as soon as possible.

He has not played since being frozen out by Erik ten Hag at the beginning of September and the £72million United spent on him in 2021 is not looking a good investment.

If anyone can get the old Sancho back, it’s Dortmund. The club are beyond excited to have the chance to re-sign him and only a late collapse is going to stop it from happening.

Kalvin Phillips

All bark, no bite? Newcastle have been linked with Phillips for months yet here we are in January and he’s still a Manchester City player.

Juventus have touched base with the terms they could offer the player if he fancies a move to Italy, yet it is believed Phillips would prefer to remain in the Premier League. Crystal Palace, West Ham and Fulham are linked too and, out of nowhere, PSG have been mentioned. Yet nothing is happening.

Newcastle still seems an obvious place for him to end up – particularly as their midfield has been struggling under the intensity of their schedule recently.

But the verdict right now? Nothing is imminent. That should change before Premier League schedule resumes.

Joao Palhinha

Fulham’s fear is that there is a repeat of the last transfer window and a big club swoops in the final week of the month to turn his head.

There is no sign of it right now. Bayern Munich say they will wait until the summer, Liverpool are distancing themselves from it, Arsenal cannot really afford it… so the obvious options are not there.

He’s been brilliant this season and is probably the best player in the whole league at this style of defensive midfield role.

Fulham will not sell him before their Carabao Cup semi-final against Liverpool is decided but it might a nervous final week if new rumours arise.

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