According to the Daily Telegraph, Manchester United have officially launched talks with Chelsea with the aim of striking a high-profile deal - allowing England striker Sterling to swap homes with United's Sancho. The news has undoubtedly dropped a bombshell on the transfer market, sparking widespread interest and discussion.
United's sporting director Dan Ashworth had an in-depth conversation with Chelsea earlier on Tuesday, with the two sides having initial discussions about a swap between Sterling and Sancho. For their part, United have made it clear that they will only move forward with the deal on their own terms, meaning they will have some initiative in the negotiations.
Sterling's current situation at Chelsea is not a good one, as he was left out of Maresca's opening week of the season squad and stripped of his shirt number, which is a good indication of his marginalized position in the team. Manchester United saw this as an opportunity to try and recruit Sterling by not paying a transfer fee. Meanwhile, Chelsea, for their part, have also shown keen interest in Sancho, as they hope that the London-born striker can bolster the team's attacking options.
It is worth noting that Sterling himself prefers a permanent transfer to a loan, which adds a certain complexity to the negotiations between Manchester United and Chelsea. However, as things stand, both sides have the will to make this deal happen, so the possibility of an agreement still exists.
In addition, there is also an as-yet-unnamed European club that is actively competing for Sterling. This has caused Sterling's value in the transfer market to soar further, and increased the difficulty of negotiations between Manchester United and Chelsea. However, for United, if they can successfully bring in Sterling and send Sancho away, it will undoubtedly be a win-win deal.
For Sancho, his career at Manchester United has also been full of ups and downs. Last season, he clashed with manager Jens Ten Hagar and was loaned back to Borussia Dortmund. Now, as talks between United and Chelsea progress, Sancho's future is in limbo.
