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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 'Turned Down Request' From Jadon Sancho After £73 Million Signing

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 'Turned Down Request' From Jadon Sancho After £73 Million Signing

Jadon Sancho's request was knocked back by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer upon his arrival at Manchester United.

Josh Lawless

Josh Lawless

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reportedly turned down a request from new signing Jadon Sancho after sealing a £73 million deal.

Manchester United finally completed a move to bring the Borussia Dortmund star back to English football, having agreed a fee and personal terms during the European Championship.

And according to the Daily Mail, the reason Sancho's official announcement was delayed was because he wanted the iconic No.7 shirt at Old Trafford.

Sancho wore the number with distinction at Dortmund and was desperate to follow in the footsteps of legends like Eric Cantona, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo.

However, the number is currently occupied by Edinson Cavani and the Uruguayan extended his stay at United after an impressive 17 goals in 39 appearances.

It's said that Solskjaer did not advocate Sancho's request and did not ask Cavani to give up the number for the new signing.

As a result, Sancho took the No.25 shirt that was free following Odion Ighalo's departure at the start of 2021. The number is significant to Sancho, however, as he was born on March 25.

And there is a theory that Sancho is doing his best impression of Ivan Zamorano at Inter Milan. With Ronaldo Nazario moving to No.9, he went to #18 but whacked a + sign in there on the back of his shirt to show what his favourite number was.

Sancho may well end up getting the No.7 shirt next term when Cavani's contract is due to expire.

After the transfer was confirmed, the former Manchester City academy player described the move as a "dream".

He told United's official website: "I'll always be grateful to Dortmund for giving me the opportunity to play first-team football, although I always knew that I would return to England one day.

"The chance to join Manchester United is a dream come true and I just cannot wait to perform in the Premier League.

"This is a young and exciting squad and I know, together, we can develop into something special to bring the success that the fans deserve.

"I am looking forward to working with the manager and his coaching team to further develop my game."

Featured Image Credit: Manchester United

Topics: Football, Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund, Jadon Sancho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Edinson Cavani