Man Utd still intent of last-gasp Raheem Sterling move as Jadon ...

Manchester United remain intent on still trying to sign Raheem Sterling before the transfer window slams shut with Jadon Sancho’s preference to join Chelsea strengthening their claims and with two strong possibilities remaining of sanctioning the deal.

The Red Devils have proved one of the most active clubs this summer with Sir Jim Ratcliffe keen to make his mark and determined to fashion a Manchester United squad that can challenge for the game’s top prizes once again. And while the rebuild process may take more than this summer alone, the four signings they have made so far in Joshua Zirkzee, Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui certainly aid their chances.

United, though, are far from done and a deal to wrap up signing No 5, in Manuel Ugarte, could be officially confirmed on Thursday. But even with the clock ticking down on the transfer deadline clock, United remain extremely active and still have at least one more major outgoing and potentially another major incoming still to come.

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And United’s interest in acquiring Sterling has been well documented with the move to bring the 82-times capped England forward to Old Trafford being orchestrated by sporting director Dan Ashworth.

To that end, talks over a high-profile swap deal have been held between the clubs, with United’s unwanted winger Sancho key to their hopes of bringing in Chelsea outcast Sterling in exchange.

Furthermore, we understand the Chelsea man has given the potential move the green light if all parties can reach an agreement over the complicated move.

Those hopes appeared to have faded on Wednesday when it emerged that Sancho’s other suitors, Juventus, had reached what was described as a ‘full agreement’ to sign the winger on a loan deal that contained a mandatory purchase option next summer.

However, sources have revealed to TEAMtalk that Sancho’s preference has always been for Chelsea and it comes as no surprise that is has since emerged that Sancho himself is yet to give the go-ahead over a move to the Italian giants as he holds out to see if Enzo Maresca’s expensively-assembled squad can strike a deal of their own.

As a result, talk of a high-profile swap between the clubs still remains a possibility as we head into the final two days of the transfer window.

Even if Sancho does end up choosing Juventus – and given Chelsea’s wish to move on several members of their so-called bomb squad of unwanted players before sanctioning more new arrivals – that does not spell the end of United’s interest in Sterling, with a loan deal still something being discussed in the corridors of power at Old Trafford.

Indeed, United are themselves now operating on a one-in, one-out policy to stay in line with the Premier League’s strict Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) and with the signing of Ugarte understood to have signalled the end of their outright spending this summer.

However, any loan move would require some transfer wizardry from United given Sterling’s £325,000 a week wages that are currently seen as a major complication.

But if they can convince Chelsea to cover a portion of those wages, and with the departure of Sancho very much on, then United still believe they can pull off the signing.

Explaining the complexities of the deal, journalist Graeme Bailey told Unitedinfocus: “Dan Ashworth knows Raheem Sterling well from his time at the FA and has a lot of time for him. He believes he is a good fit for Manchester United’s project.”

And in revealing why one deal is not dependent on the other, Bailey added: “It’s not dependent on Sancho – United want him out, Chelsea want Sterling out – nice fit but not necessarily one without the other.

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“If Chelsea take Sancho they want one to go the other way, but if Sancho ends up at Juventus, then Chelsea still want Sterling out.”

We understand that United have made clear in preliminary talks that any wages that Sterling would earn at Old Trafford would be capped at £200,000 a week, meaning Chelsea would need to cover a portion of those wages were a loan deal to come off, or it would take a major financial sacrifice from the player himself if a permanent swap were finalised.

Sterling, who supported Manchester United as a boy, yet has starred for their close rivals Manchester City and Liverpool, has scored 173 career goals from 549 appearances, though oddly, has never registered against the Red Devils in his 26 outings against them.