The longest transfer saga of the past two summers is finally over: Jadon Sancho is a Manchester United player.

The 21-year-old England international was officially unveiled in Manchester on Friday after completing a transfer from Borussia Dortmund that was reportedly valued at € 85million ($ 100million / £ 72.5million), rising to 90 million euros with bonuses and add-ons.

“Jadon is the type of player I want to bring to the club, he is an advanced player in the best traditions of Manchester United,” said head coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

“He will be an integral part of my squad for years to come and we look forward to seeing him flourish. His goals and assists records speak for themselves and he will also bring pace, flair and creativity. wonderful to the team. “

Sancho himself said: “I will always be grateful to Dortmund for giving me the opportunity to play first-team football, although I always knew I would come back to England someday. The chance to join Manchester. United are a dream come true and I can’t wait to play in the Premier League. “

United get their man

United wanted to sign Sancho in the summer of 2020 but refused to meet Dortmund’s asking price of € 120million. Instead, Sancho extended his contract for a year until 2023, ensuring that the Bundesliga could still demand a significant asking price this time around.

“We would have liked to have had a few more euros for him, but the market just doesn’t allow it at the moment,” Dortmund professional football manager Sebastian Kehl said earlier this month.

“Jadon has been a fantastic player for Borussia Dortmund, we had a lot of joy and great success with him. Without him we wouldn’t have finished last season so strong. He was a huge contributor to our cup victory and to our qualification for the Champions League.

“We wish him all the best in Manchester.”

Success in yellow, frustration in white, future in red

After joining Dortmund from local United rivals Manchester City at the age of 17 in August 2017, Sancho has made 137 appearances for Black and Yellow in all competitions, scoring 50 goals and assisting 64 others.

Last season he played a pivotal role when BVB qualified for the Champions League and won the German Cup. He found the net in every round except for the semi-final (in which he still scored two goals) and scored twice in a 4-1 win over RB Leipzig. finally.

This summer he was included in the England squad for the European Championships but was largely ignored by head coach Gareth Southgate, much to the astonishment of German observers. He only made one start – against Ukraine in the quarter-finals – and had to shoot a penalty in the final, which he missed in England’s loss to Italy.

Manchester United finished second in the Premier League last season, 12 points behind local rivals Manchester City, and were beaten in the Europa League final on penalties by Villarreal. Head coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has come under fire for his team’s inability to break through defensive opposition and is hopeful that Sancho’s arrival will change that.