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"He plays with a lot of joy" | Daniel Harris on Sancho's marketability

Football writer Daniel Harris joined Monday's OTB AM to discuss Jadon Sancho and Manchester Unit...



Football writer Daniel Harris joined Monday's OTB AM to discuss Jadon Sancho and Manchester United.

The 20-year-old winger has been heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford and many reports suggest that a deal will be closed by the end of the week.

As well as being an outstanding talent on the pitch, Sancho will also be seen as a valuable asset off the pitch, according to Harris.

"I imagine United see Jadon Sancho as someone quite crucial for them commercially," he said.

"Sancho definitely works for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer because he’s a high-level player but I suspect he also works quite well for Ed Woodward.

"The amount of money that the club is able to make commercially is significantly contingent on the kind of players they have who are attractive to sponsors."

Companies and sponsors are attracted to players with a type of "competitive charisma", according to Harris.

"Players who play with swagger, who play with intensity, who are entertaining and fun to watch," he said.

"I also think increasingly you want highlight reel players because that is how people are starting to consume football. It's definitely how younger people are starting to consume football.

"When you watch the best bits of a game, who is going to be active?

"Jadon Sancho is exactly that type of player because he’s extremely skillful, he’s a lot of fun to watch and he plays with a lot of joy."

If Sancho does complete his move, he will join a youthful and exciting squad which is very different to a number of years ago.

Harris pointed out that for a few years Wayne Rooney was the only real star at Old Trafford and so was always called on by sponsors. Even when he had declined and was no longer a top-level player, he was often still the face of Manchester United.

"Even though Rooney was finished as a footballer, if you think about the players that Van Gaal and Mourinho had then, there weren't very many stars until they signed Pogba," Harris said.

"Now if you look at that team there are a lot of stars.

"Sponsors would always ask for Rooney whereas now they look at United and they say we could have Marcus Rashford, we could have Jadon Sancho if he arrives. Mason Greenwood is going to be a superstar, Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes. There’s just so many players."

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Read more about

Borussia Dortmund Daniel Harris Manchester United Mufc Sancho