Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth has suggested Manchester United have to sign Jadon Sancho during the current transfer window or they will lose out to other clubs next summer for the England international.

The Red Devils have not made an official bid for the 20-year-old after refusing to meet Borussia Dortmund’s €120m (£108m) valuation of the player, and Sheth claims they are taking a big gamble:

“The information I got this morning was if United do not sign Sancho in this transfer window there is a chance he will never become a United player. Make no mistake about it, this window represents what I call the perfect storm as far as United are concerned. They are in the Champions League, Sancho wants Champions League football.”

“They are realistically the only club that could do a deal for Sancho at the figures being mentioned. However, and this is the big crux of it, as it stands there has been no bid from United.”

It seems likely that this transfer saga will rumble on until deadline day in October. Both sides have made their positions clear. Dortmund won’t budge on their valuation of Sancho while United see the fee as unrealistic.

Were the Manchester club to make a formal offer and have it turned down then a lot will depend on the player and whether he is prepared to agitate for a move away from Dortmund.

Recent comments from Sancho, though, seem to suggest he hasn’t been unsettled in the slightest by the speculation surrounding his future.