Borussia Dortmund’s ‘secret plan’ to complete permanent return of Jadon Sancho as they ‘plot player-swap deal’ for Man United outcast

Borussia Dortmund are desperate to make Jadon Sancho’s move back to the club from Manchester United permanent in the summer, according to reports.

The 23-year-old returned to Germany on-loan in January after being exiled from Man United’s first-team following a high-profile dispute with manager Erik ten Hag.

Dortmund previously sanctioned Sancho’s move to Old Trafford in a £73m transfer three-years ago and now want to seal his permanent transfer back from the Premier League club, as reported by BILD.

Sancho’s existing contract in Manchester expires in 2026 and the winger is keen to leave the club after a career-worst spell that has also coincided with him falling out of the England set-up.

He scored his first goal since re-joining Dortmund in their 2-1 Bundesliga victory over Werder Bremen at the weekend and the club are now exploring how they can engineer Sancho’s return for next season.

Sancho scored his first goal since re-joining the club in Dortmund’s weekend win against Werder Bremen

The club are shrewd business operators in the transfer market, often recruiting cheap, improving players and then selling on for huge profit, but United are unlikely to drop their asking price to meet Dortmund’s demands.

When United initially chased Sancho’s signature they were consistently rejected before agreeing to pay nearly £80m for the tricky winger.

The English side will have to lower their asking price and look set to make a certain loss on Sancho when he does depart, but Dortmund have ‘secret plans’ to lower his fee even further.

One option being explored by the German giants is to ask for Sancho to be sent back to the club for another season-long loan in Germany before trying to seal a later purchase.

Dortmund reportedly want to strike a permanent transfer with Man United for Sancho

Dortmund are considering including Donyell Malen in a potential player-swap deal for Sancho

They are also considering using Sancho in a player-plus-cash deal for talented forward Donyell Malen who has been linked with a move to United.

The recruitment charge is being led by Dortmund manager Edin Terzic who is understood to be impressed with Sancho’s return to form after a previous barren spell of not playing in Manchester.

The forward found himself cast out at United after clashing with Ten Hag after being beaten by Arsenal at the Emirates earlier in the season.

Sancho publicly hit out at Ten Hag for criticising him and was subsequently banned from first-team training and exiled to mix with the youth teams.