Chelsea could do Man Utd huge favour that would save Sir Jim Ratcliffe £15.6m

will be spared the effort of scrambling for someone to buy if Chelsea decide to activate their £25million option to make the winger's loan permanent. A year of ups and downs for the England international culminated in a goal in their Europa League final victory Real Betis, a thumping finish reminiscent of the heights of his Borussia Dortmund days. It may clinch his exit from Old Trafford.

Sancho is widely understood to have little desire to return to United. The feeling in Manchester is likely to be mutual. Sancho has not played for the club since August 2023, and United's reported targeting of the likes of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo suggests he has no future at the club. He, like fellow loanees Marcus Rashford and Antony, will be sold.

United are expected to oversee a busy summer of activity. One exercise they will not thrust back onto their agenda is trying to find a club for Sancho, having perhaps presumed that he would make his loan at Chelsea permanent. Even worse for the Red Devils, he could be on their books for another season and potentially cost £15.6m in wages, with his contract ending in 2026.

Last summer, Chelsea agreed a clause with United that would see them pay £25million to make the temporary arrangement permanent if they finished higher than 14th in the Premier League. Enzo Maresca's side came fourth, won the Conference League, and will play in next season's Champions League.

Sancho made 41 appearances along the way. However, there have been murmurs that Chelsea may take up another option they agreed with United, which was that they would pay £5m to get out of the clause that would see them sign the 25-year-old permanently.

What the Blues eventually decide to do remains to be seen. But there will be hope within the Old Trafford hierarchy that their Stamford Bridge counterparts believe Sancho is worth the £25m figure.

An early cash boost in the window would help United quickly attain their targets, with Cunha widely expected to arrive for £62.5m. Mbeumo has also been linked, while a centre-forward could be necessary.

United will be keen to raise as much funding from sales as possible. Rashford and Antony will command much better fees than they did 12 months ago, aided chiefly by their positive performances on loan in the second half of the season.

Ensuring Sancho stays at Chelsea will be another priority for United. They will be determined to keep him away from Old Trafford.