Identifying Jadon Sancho alternatives: Players Man Utd should be tracking

The transfer saga of this rescheduled summer window is already pretty clear. Manchester United's pursuit of Jadon Sancho promises to drag on for some time yet, as has become customary for the Red Devils when identifying a top target. Selling clubs tend to play hardball for their prized assets and United, typically, pay up.

While the fans will hope the club do just that sooner rather than later for Sancho, there is no question that Borussia Dortmund have grown increasingly confident that the winger will remain under their employ next season. In the eventuality that United fail to get their man, the club will need to weigh up other options, and while Jack Grealish has been mooted as a potential alternative, the Aston Villa star certainly wouldn't solve a problem position on the right flank.

As such, we've taken a dive into the attacking statistics of the England international and used certain metrics as a template in an attempt to find a handful of statistically similar profiles. The statistics chosen were per 90 figures for shots on target (1.1), key passes (2.7) and succesful dribbles (3), as well as dribble success rate (55.8 per cent), the proportion of key passes that Opta deemed as 'big chances created' (27.5 per cent) and pass accuracy (85.1 per cent). Goals and assists were excluded from the study because, simply put, there are so few players that can boast Sancho's efficiency in the final third.

Indeed, the most statistically similar players tell a story of their own, with Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi all coming close to or surpassing Sancho's numbers for the above. However, we've decided to rule said stars out as unrealistic targets (ducks for cover...). Instead, we've focused on the players that came closest to Sancho's profile that wouldn't cost the earth, and also that fit the model of young talent that United are keen to recruit.

LONG SHOT OPTIONS

Martin Odegaard (Real Madrid)

While Odegaard had agreed a two-year loan deal with Real Sociedad, Madrid inserted the option to recall the young Norwegian after the first season and look set to excercise said option after an impressive campaign in LaLiga. The 21-year-old had a direct hand in 10 league goals and while he played almost exclusively from a central position, the youngster spent much of two hugely productive Eredevisie campaigns previous operating from the right-flank.

He is only able to surpass Sancho's relatively modest dribble success rate (55.8 per cent) of the stats analysed, with 60.6 per cent. However, his pass accuracy is closest to the Englishman's in this feature, at 84.7 per cent.

Dejan Kulusevski (Juventus)

OK, so Kulusevski is only just linking up with his new Juventus teammates under new head coach Andrea Pirlo, but the opportunity to make a quick profit isn't alien to selling clubs these days. The Swede enjoyed a fantastic breakthrough campaign on loan at Parma Calcio in Serie A last time out - scoring eight times and registering ten assists - but it remains to be seen if he is in Pirlo's plans. The Italian champions could feasibly double the money they spent on the young winger - believed to be around £30m - at the start of the year.

Like Odegaard, with whom the more natural winger shares a very similar profile in that stats analysed here, Kulusevski is only superior to Sancho in dribble success (58 per cent). However, the 20-year-old comes close to the Dortmund star for key passes per 90 (2.4) and averages more shots on target (0.8) and dribbles (2.3) than the aforementioned Real Madrid playmaker.

Trincao (Barcelona)

Another player, like Kulusevski, to have technically made a move already this summer, Trincao has already been linked with a departure from Camp Nou before he has kicked a ball. Reports surfaced earlier in the month that there was Premier League interest from Leicester in signing the Portuguese prodigy on a two-year loan deal with an obligtion to buy the winger.

Despite limited playing time last season, the youngster dazzled in his time on the pitch in Liga NOS, with a direct hand in 14 goals in just 1606 minutes of action. He averaged marginally fewer shots on target per 90 (1.1) but completed more dribbles (3.5) at a significantly greater success rate (63.6 per cent). While his overall chance creation was some way back (a still impressive 1.9 key passes per 90), the quality of the chances Trincao created at Braga were notable, with 38.2 per cent deemed 'big chances'.

CHEAP(ER) ALTERNATIVES

Said Benrahma (Brentford)

Having just missed out on Premier League promotion via the play-offs, Benrahma is destined for the top-flight regardless. Chelsea were considered favourites to sign the Algerian, who has drawn comparisons with compatriot Riyad Mahrez due to his dribbling and confidence, but the Blues interest has cooled, leaving the likes of Leeds and Aston Villa as front runners as things stand.

Benrahma, however, would no doubt fancy the opportunity to play European football and performances - albeit in the Championship - heralding 17 goals and nine assists would suggest he's more than capable. The only player here to outscore Sancho for shots on target per 90 (1.6), admittedly from a huge number of attempts, the Brentford winger is also ahead in dribbles (3.3) but is furthest behind when it comes to the overall quality of chances that he creates.

Matheus Pereira (West Brom)

While Benrahma just missed out, Pereira was the star man for West Brom in their successful promotion bid. The Brazilian was also a cut above in the second tier and registered more assists than any other, supplementing an excellent 16 with a further eight goals for himself. While the majority of his appearances came in the number 10 role - a position Sancho has adopted recently at Dortmund - Pereira started 14 matches from wide and was equally effective.

He was the only player here to surpass Sancho for key passes (3.1 per 90) but comes out lowest for successful dribbles (1.7), although again at a greater success rate (60.7 per cent) than the BVB man.

Calvin Stengs (AZ)

Perhaps the closest stylistic fit to Sancho in the study, albeit with the considerable caveat along with others here of player against inferior opposition, Stengs was one of the top young performers in the Eredivisie. While returns of five goals and seven assists were relatively modest, the 21-year-old showed signs that those numbers could yet improve substantially.

His shot accuracy certainly requires work but averages of 2.5 key passes and 2.5 successful dribbles per 90 are impressive. Both remain so when looking a little deeper into big chance creation proportion (23.3 per cent) and dribble success (62.1 per cent) and Stengs would arguably be the most cost effective option of the six, although money isn't likely to be much of on object.

In summary, if United do miss out on their man, they will need to accept a relatively considerable downgrade on a player whose numbers so early in his career point towards a generational talent. However, that shouldn't detract from the fact that all of the above would strengthen a position within the squad that is understrength beyond the emerging Mason Greenwood.

The latter's progression is likely to be another key factor in United's pursuit of Sancho, but the club can't rely on the teenager - who is a striker by trade - to carry the can all season. Daniel James has thus far proven an inadequate alternative. The Red Devils unquestionably need a better one and the players above could fit that bill...