Reports: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ready to sell Manchester United’s Daniel James to fund Jadon Sancho move

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is ready to sell Daniel James to finance the move for Jadon Sancho, according to ESPN. However, the Manchester United board is reluctant to let go of the youngster, who only joined the club last season.

Solskjær is prepared to sell Daniel James to fund a late move for Jadon Sancho, but Ole is yet to convince United's board of the merits of a potential £25m sale #mulive [espn]

— utdreport (@utdreport) October 2, 2020

The Norwegian is desperate to add Sancho to his squad before the summer transfer window ends, even though Borussia Dortmund have reiterated their desire to keep the Englishman at the club for the moment.

Manchester United have been very slow in their pursuit of Solskjaer’s numero uno target and have not matched the Bundesliga side’s £108m valuation of Sancho so far.

The Red Devils submitted a €100m bid for the player this week, but it was swiftly rejected by Dortmund, who are unwilling to let Sancho leave for a penny less.

As the transfer window edges to an end and the desperation among fans increases, the Norwegian will be hoping that the club hierarchy can manage a coup and come to an agreement with the Bundesliga side.

The Manchester United board are worried that selling James could project a negative image of the club

Could Daniel James be on his way out of Old Trafford?

The Welshman broke into the scene with a bang last season, scoring on his debut off the bench. However, he fizzled out after a couple of games and endured a goal drought despite having a decent season.

James did make the starting eleven in the first game of this season, but failed to impress again and has now scored just 4 times in 47 games for Manchester United. Solskjaer and the United backroom staff are apparently no longer convinced that the Welshman can establish himself at Old Trafford.

James has failed to break into the first eleven and saw teenage sensation Mason Greenwood leapfrog him for the right-winger role in the later stages of last season. While the Englishman had a brilliant end to the season, the Welshman found himself relegated to the bench.

Sancho’s arrival, as such, could push him further down the pecking order, which is perhaps a reason why Solskjaer is willing to let him go.

Daniel James and Mason Greenwood's Premier League stats this season 🔴 [Opta] pic.twitter.com/rj7u5nfl1f

— United Zone (@ManUnitedZone_) July 16, 2020

Manchester United have rejected Leeds United’s offer to take James on loan for the rest of the season, and Marcelo Bielsa could return with an improved offer to buy the player before the end of the window.

However, the United hierarchy are hesitant to approve the sale just a year after his arrival. James could fetch around £22m, which would mean a £7m profit on a player who was bought for £15m from Swansea last summer.

The United board believe that selling the Welshman will hurt the club’s image and indicate the inability of the club to mould young players into future stars.

However, with time running out and the Sancho deal still hanging in a balance, the Manchester United hierarchy might be tempted to change their stance on Daniel James’ future soon.