Jadon Sancho involved in shock swap deal with player Ruud van Nistelrooy recommended to Man Utd

Out-of-favour Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho could reportedly be involved in a shock swap deal, which could see a player once recommended by Ruud van Nistelrooy arrive at Old Trafford.

Sancho, 25, spent the 2024/25 campaign on loan at Chelsea, but the Blues decided against fulfilling their obligation to make his move permanent and instead paid a £5m penalty after being unable to agree personal terms with the England international.

The 25-year-old has since been linked with several clubs, such as Juventus and Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahçe.

But reports from Sky Sports claim that Juventus’ interest is most pressing and they are to “hold further talks” with the player on Wednesday (June 25) in order to stave off interest from fellow Serie A side Napoli.

Man United reportedly value Sancho to be worth around £25m and would prefer a sale rather than a loan deal.

Jadon Sancho spent the 2024/25 campaign on loan at Chelsea (Credit:Getty)

Another report by Sport Witness, suggests that United “are said to have themselves proposed the idea of swapping Sancho with Serbian striker Dusan Vlahovic”.

Vlahovic, 25, has registered 16 goals and five assists in 43 appearances for the Turin club this season.

It is believed a swap deal would benefit both clubs as the duo have one year left on their respective contracts.

And this is not the first time the Serbian forward has been linked with the Red Devils. In September 2024, Football Transfers reported that Van Nistelrooy had ‘recommended’ Vlahovic to United, but no such deal materialised.

Of course, Juventus are arguably the biggest club in Italy, but playing upfront for Man United is another level of pressure as the likes of Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee have found out in recent seasons.

However, Vlahovic explained how he “likes pressure” during an interview with The Telegraph in 2022.

“When you believe in yourself, when you are confident, nothing else will destabilise you,” Vlahovic said.

Dusan Vlahovic has been linked with a move to Manchester United (Credit:Getty)

“You need to have this kind of mental strength. And also when something goes wrong it will definitely help you face problems. I am not really trained to have it. I think it’s something that comes with your character, that is really a part of you.”

He added: “I like high expectations because I like the kind of adrenalin that comes out. I have never really suffered too much from pressure. Maybe when I was younger but not now and in 10 years’ time I will probably feel even better about it. I don’t really care too much when people talk about pressure.”