Jadon Sancho of Borussia Dortmund during the 1. Bundesliga match between Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund at the Commerzbank Arena on September 22, 2019 in Frankfurt, Germany. (Photo by Peter Niedung/NurPhoto)

Liverpool “adamant” they have no interest in £100m deal for Jadon Sancho

Liverpool’s rumoured pursuit of Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho is claimed to have been a means to “drive up the price” for other clubs, with no interest at Anfield.

Sancho is among the most high-profile players to have been linked with a move to Merseyside in recent months, and given his pedigree and potential, would make a top-class signing.

But with Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino settled as Jurgen Klopp‘s first-choice front three, the 20-year-old’s £100 million price tag would be difficult to justify.

Dortmund’s No. 7 has scored 17 goals and laid on 19 assists in 35 games so far this season, but there is no guarantee he would start every game for Liverpool.

The belief was that the Reds would only sign a player of Sancho’s value if one of Salah or Mane were to leave, and there is little chance of that.

And now, the Mirror‘s David Maddock claims the club are “adamant” they are not involved in the race to sign the England international, and that he has “never been an active target.”

Maddock insists there is “no chance” of a move for Sancho in the next transfer window, with Liverpool “actively pursuing other targets who are more realistically valued at less than half the price.”

With Man United and Chelsea among a host of clubs no doubt keen on a deal, it is suggested that the Reds were used as “a device to drive up the price” due to their status.

Timo Werner. (Kohn Walton/PA Wire/PA Images)

The “realistic” targets Jurgen Klopp may be considering instead of Sancho could include Timo Werner, whose release clause at RB Leipzig makes him available for around £50.5 million.

This isn’t quite “less than half” the £100 million touted for the Dortmund winger, but it is close enough, and there is more likelihood of Werner initially accepting a squad role.

Liverpool are now in a position where, while they could feasibly beat the likes of United and Chelsea to sign Sancho, their attacking ranks are strong enough that a deal is not deemed necessary.

The signings of Alisson and Virgil van Dijk for a combined £140 million indicate that when it is needed the club will spend big, but they will only do so sensibly.