It’s easy to forget, watching him struggle at Manchester United, that Liverpool used to be a keen admirer of Jadon Sancho.
According to Melissa Reddy in The Independent, the Reds would have pushed to sign him from Manchester City in 2017 if its Premier League competitor had been willing to sell.
Sancho wound up leaving England to join Borussia Dortmund instead but remained on Liverpool’s radar, only for the funds the club had been raising to be wiped out by the Covid-19 pandemic, which slashed its revenue streams virtually across the board (via Reddy/Sport 1).
In the end, Manchester United landed him for a huge $93m (£73m/€84m) fee in 2021 after a protracted 12-month pursuit, though local rival Manchester City did at least enjoy the solace of a $14m windfall by virtue of a 15 per cent sell-on clause in its deal with Dortmund (via The Mail).
Now, two years later, Liverpool is looking to repeat this transfer. Having seen two bids rejected for the Manchester City academy product Roméo Lavia — the first of which was worth $47m (£37m/€43m) and the second $52m (£41m/€47m) — the club is now preparing a ‘third and ultimate’ bid for the Southampton star, as per journalist Sacha Tavolieri.
Like Sancho was, Lavia is a hugely exciting young talent who sought a move away from the Etihad because of a lack of first-team opportunities.
The Belgian was player of the season for Manchester City’s title-winning under-23s in 2020/21, but had little prospect of becoming a long-term starter in the number six position with Rodri, one of the world’s best, in situ for the foreseeable future.
Sancho, meanwhile, had been making waves at under-18 level, scoring 15 goals and providing six assists in 22 games, but wanted out because he didn’t see a pathway into the XI either, with Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sané occupying the wide roles at that time (via ESPN).
Both no doubt felt vindicated as they subsequently went on to flourish elsewhere. Lavia was the most-used teenager in the Premier League last season and shone so brightly that he earned a nomination for the Golden Boy award, along with 99 of the best under-21 players in Europe’s top leagues.
Sancho’s development was even more spectacular as he racked up a mightily impressive 114 goal involvements (50 goals, 64 assists) in 137 games for Dortmund, making the Bundesliga team of the season twice.
And the final common thread is the sell-on clauses Manchester City inserted into both deals. The treble winner will be entitled to 20 per cent of the fee should Lavia move on this summer (via Goal), which could translate to a $13m influx if Southampton’s $64m (£50m/€58m) demands are met.
Liverpool will of course be reluctant to funnel even more money into Pep Guardiola’s hands, having no doubt bemoaned the extent of his riches in the midst of the title battles between the clubs, but it will hope to inspire genuine regret in Manchester this time.
While Sancho has been a huge disappointment at Old Trafford, only managing nine goals and six assists in 55 Premier League appearances to limit Manchester City’s remorse, Lavia may come to be seen as the one that got away.