Manchester United confirmed Sancho’s departure in June, ending a spell that began with his £75 million move from Borussia Dortmund in 2021. United chose not to trigger the one-year option in his contract, and the winger has been without a club since.
His final season in England was a mixed one. On loan at Aston Villa, he made 39 appearances as Unai Emery’s team qualified for the Champions League and won the Europa League. The numbers were thin, though: his only goal of the campaign came against Fenerbahce in January. A return to Dortmund was also mooted. Reports suggested it was close, but it never materialised.
The club that emerged is Getafe. They submitted their first official offer to Sancho’s representatives on Thursday, October 15. Club president Ángel Torres has since confirmed it. He had been working on this for four months, and described the proposal as a “final offer.” He also admitted the deal was trickier than the one for Dani Carvajal, the former Real Madrid captain who joined on a free transfer earlier this month.
The pitch is a familiar one. Getafe believe they can revive Sancho’s career as they did with Mason Greenwood. The club is 14th in La Liga after eight games and also plays in the Conference League. Also, manager José Bordalás has been vocal about a shortage of natural wide players.
Money is the sticking point. In 2020, It was reported that United had agreed a £250,000-a-week contract with Sancho. Getafe’s offer is reported to be around €10,000 a week, roughly 4% of that United salary.
That is not Sancho’s ask, however. Spanish reports put his salary demand at around €4m a year. Journalist Pablo Pinto said a La Liga club was quoted 4 or 5 million this summer, which he called unfeasible for Getafe. By my arithmetic, €10,000 a week is about €520,000 a year, roughly an eighth of that figure.
La Liga’s wage rules make the gap harder to close. Torres had to guarantee that Carvajal’s salary fitted under the team’s cap, and the same would be expected for Sancho. Getafe have also been looking at freeing up room in their wage bill. For now, Sancho is weighing the offer with his representatives and has made no decision.
