Manchester United eye former Real Madrid star as Jadon Sancho replacement – Reports

Manchester United have reportedly earmarked ex-Real Madrid star Takefusa Kubo as a potential replacement for Jadon Sancho in the future.

The Red Devils have endured a sub-par start to the ongoing campaign, registering five wins and six defeats in 11 matches across competitions so far. They have also had to deal with a host of in-house probems, including Sancho's recent fallout with manager Erik ten Hag.

Now, according to Fichajes.net, Manchester United have set their eyes on Kubo as a potential future signing. They are keen to launch a move for the Japanese player ahead of the upcoming 2024-25 campaign.

However, Ten Hag's outfit could face difficulty in finalising a deal to snap up the ex-Barcelona youth player. They could have to overpay to sign the left-footed attacker as Real Madrid have a 50% sell-on clause included in the player's current contract at Real Sociedad.

Real Madrid, who let go of the likes of Eden Hazard and Marco Asensio earlier this summer, are also said to be monitoring Kubo's progress at the Anoeta. They could choose to trigger the player's £26 million buy-back clause in light of their below-par attacking depth now.

Kubo, 22, rose to fame after guiding Real Sociedad to a fourth-place in the La Liga last season. He registered nine goals and seven assists in 35 league matches and contributed two assists in seven Europa League appearances, operating all across his team's front three.

Manchester United 'admire' ex-Real Madrid boss Julen Lopetegui as potential manager

Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Dean Jones provided insight into Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag's job security. He said:

"There is a lot of talk around Erik ten Hag's successor but what you have to look at is the fact that he was targeted ahead of a shortlist of bosses and that those top alternatives are now gone. [Mauricio] Pochettino is at Chelsea and Luis Enrique is at PSG."

Naming Lopetegui as a potential successor to Ten Hag, Jones added:

"Perhaps, the only manager you could look at now as someone we know they admire and who is out of work and wanting to be in the Premier League is Julen Lopetegui. But even then, we are talking about someone who was always an outsider to actually get the job. And when you look at the betting odds now, he's not even listed."

Lopetegui, who was at Real Madrid's helm for 14 games in 2018, parted ways with Wolverhampton Wanderers prior to the start of the ongoing 2023-24 season. He is currently available for hire after guiding the Midlands club to 10 wins and 12 losses in 27 overall matches.

Ten Hag, meanwhile, has lately drawn a lot of scrutiny due to Manchester United's poor performances this campaign. He has guided the Red Devils to 47 wins, eight stalemates and 18 overall defeats so far.