Jadon Sancho ‘pushed Marcus Rashford to get his Manchester United move over the line’ last summer

Jadon Sancho reportedly sought Marcus Rashford’s help in getting his dream Manchester United move over the line by asking if Ed Woodward could cough up the £108million Borussia Dortmund wanted for him last summer.

Sancho has been linked with a move to Old Trafford since last year, with Dortmund originally demanding over £100m for the 21-year-old which then-United chief Woodward was reluctant to meet.

And with a move hanging in the balance, Sancho jokingly text close friend and United striker Rashford to see if the deadlock could be breached.

According to The Athletic, Sancho pushed Rashford in a text saying: ‘Can you ask Ed to pay the money please?’

Sancho asked Rashford in a text asking if Ed Woodward (above) could pay his £108m price tag

The tongue-in-cheek request didn’t come to fruition, with Woodward backing out of a deal to instead bide his time and wait for Sancho’s price to drop a year on.

A year on, Sancho was finally granted his wish with United able to land their main target for £35m less than Dortmund had previously demanded, with the Red Devils confirming on Thursday that a £73m deal had been agreed between the two clubs.

And days before the deal was announced, Rashford, who has the nickname ‘Agent Marcus’, confirmed to supporters that Sancho would be signing with the club. 

A United fan messaged Rashford directly, asking him to ‘announce Sancho’. Rashford replied 13 minutes later with ‘Yes x’.

A year on, Sancho got his wish, with United agreeing to pay Borussia Dortmund £73m for him

The pair are believed to be close friends and are currently locked in England’s Covid bubble for the duration of their Euros campaign.

Following England’s participation in the tournament, Sancho is set to complete his move to Old Trafford, signing a five-year deal that runs until 2026 and undergo a medical.

While Sancho, Rashford and United will all be delighted with the outcome of the deal, Dortmund chiefs have been left furious that they didn’t receive more for the highly-rated winger. 

The summer switch was first confirmed by the German giants in a statement to the stock market on Thursday morning, before CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke sat down in front of the press to further explain the situation.

Rashford (left) confirmed Sancho’s switch earlier this week to a fan over Twitter

A United fan messaged Rashford directly, asking him to ‘announce Sancho’ and he replied ‘Yes’

At the unveiling of new manager Marco Rose, Watzke revealed that an agreement is in place for Sancho, but that Dortmund were unhappy with the fee, given they were pushing for £108m a year ago.

‘There is an agreement, but not yet enforcement,’ Watzke told the press. ‘There are still medical tests pending. This is done explicitly at Jadon’s request. 

‘We would have liked to keep him. But he behaved fantastic and it makes a difference whether someone communicates this clearly or goes on strike with a riot. We are sad that he is leaving, but we will surely find a solution.’

Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke (right) explained the latest at a press conference

United will hope that the arrival of the impressive 21-year-old to their front-line can help propel them closer to Manchester City and the Premier League title.

Sancho previously played for United’s city rivals, joining their academy from Watford in 2015, before heading to Germany and Dortmund two years later.

He has since gone from strength to strength, playing 137 times for the first team across four seasons.