Manchester United may have celebrated Borussia Dortmund reaching the Champions League final having bagged a bigger loan fee as a result.
They let Sancho leave Old Trafford for Dortmund on loan in January, and part of the deal meant that if the German club reached the Champions League final they would pay the parent club more in loan fees.
And that is exactly what happened after Dortmund beat Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 on aggregate in their Champions League semi-final clash on Tuesday.
Dortmund had already forked out £3million to land Sancho in January, who was ostracised by Erik ten Hag after a fallout.
They also agreed to pay most of the winger’s wages, which would increase to close to all of his salary based on performances.
That agreement also stated that the Signal Iduna Park outfit would pay United a further £3.4m based on Champions League progress and appearances. talkSPORT understands that most of the add-ons have now been made as a result of Sancho making it to Wembley.
But while Dortmund might have to end up paying more for Sancho, they will not mind one bit after shocking the footballing world to reach the Champions League final.
After drawing PSG, AC Milan and Newcastle earlier this season in the so-called ‘Group of Death’, they finished top of that group and have since knocked out PSV, Atletico Madrid and now the French champions.
Mats Hummels scored the only goal of the game in the second leg after Niclas Fullkrug netted last week while Sancho was praised for his tremendous dribbling skills.
It is a remarkable turnaround for Sancho, who had been banished to train with the Under-18s at United after a bust-up with Ten Hag early in the season.
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He has not played for the Red Devils since August 26 after refusing to apologise to the Dutch coach, who left him out of the squad after defeat to Arsenal earlier that month for his performances in training.
Sancho insisted he was being used as a scapegoat and refused to apologise for his comments, leading to the two being at loggerheads.
The 24-year-old signed for United in 2021 from Dortmund for £73m, being heralded as a potential poster boy to lead the club into a new era.
However, the forward failed to find his feet at Old Trafford and in 82 appearances in all competitions, he has scored just 12 – nine of which are in the Premier League.
Whether his future lies at United remains to be seen with the current campaign still ongoing, though talkSPORT understands the situation might be irreparable.
Dortmund would love to sign him permanently but might not have the funds to complete a full transfer, while they are also keen on purchasing another loanee in Ian Maatsen from Chelsea, who has a £35m option-to-buy clause.
Much might depend on whether Ten Hag remains at Old Trafford next season with his own future under consideration with Sir Jim Ratcliffe taking control of football operations.
A crushing 4-0 defeat to Crystal Palace on Monday night – just 24 hours before Sancho reached the Champions League final – would have done little to back up his case.
However, talkSPORT understands no decision will be made on Ten Hag’s future until after the FA Cup final later this month, but a former Premier League manager is in the frame to take over.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
