Of all the biggest clubs in the League, few are more well-known for their willingness to pay top-dollar for the best players in the world. Man United are no stranger to record-breaking transfers, having broken the world record for most expensive signing in August with their purchase of Harry Maguire for a staggering £80 million.

However, recent developments have shown that it takes more than just flashing the cash to get what you want. This much was revealed when their ongoing attempts to purchase superstar attacker Jadon Sancho for Borussia Dortmund were rebuffed for the second time. Despite Man U being willing to meet Dortmund’s eye-watering asking price of £100 million, Sancho has made it clear that he will not consider the move unless they are able to actually make the Champions League this year.

The refusal is believed to be the result of advice given to Sancho recently after a string of subpar performances from the Red Devils convinced Dortmund that a move to Old Trafford would not be the best stepping stone in the 19-year-old striker’s career.

Sancho is one of the most widely tracked players on the planet right now, which means that Manchester United will be up against some serious competition once the other clubs line up to make their offers next summer. Ole Gunnar Solskaer had hoped to sign Sancho up during the winter, but given that the team under his management has seen their worst start to a League season since 1989, things are not looking good. It’s quite possible that the Red Devils’ recent draw with Arsenal was the final straw that convinced Dortmund to harden their position.

Basically, if United want even the slightest chance of signing Sancho for 2020, they need to qualify for the Champions League. Something which is far from certain, with sport betting online pricing them up at 9/4 to finish in the top four this term.

Solskjaer will need to pull something seriously impressive out of the bag to make it through, and the signs are not good. Sancho is one of the most desired players in the world right now for good reason; he has continued to show off his prowess for Dortmund, having already scored for them four times this season, as well as providing six assists.

Whilst this kind of young blood is exactly what Manchester United needs to get back on track, it’ll take more than that to reverse its fortunes. The club’s position at the upper echelons of the football world is fading fast, and Dortmund’s blunt rebuttal this week proves that the world is starting to take notice. There have been plenty of promising signings in recent months, but this has so far done little to improve United’s track record. Still, although the signs may be bleak, we’re keeping our fingers crossed in the hope that the club really will turn things around and manage to qualify.