Man United agrees $A134m Sancho fee with Dortmund

Sancho, currently on duty with England at Euro 2020, has become a star since making the decision to leave Manchester City and head to the Bundesliga in 2017.

The 21-year-old, who has only made one European Championship appearance so far for Gareth Southgate's team, will reportedly cost United £72.9million (€85m) and has been a long-term target for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Indeed, a prospective move to Old Trafford for Sancho was one of the major talking points ahead of the 2020-21 season, but United have had to bide their time.

It appears they are to finally get their man. Using Opta data, Stats Perform assesses just what Sancho can bring to United, as well as how he stacks up against some of the Red Devils' current attacking options.

TAKING DORTMUND BY STORM

Sancho had to be patient upon his arrival at Dortmund, but by the end of the 2017-18 season he had broken into the first team, scoring once in 12 league appearances.

He went from hot prospect to star turn in a stunning 2018-19 campaign, however, and has made 137 appearances in all competitions for the German side, playing 9,901 minutes and scoring 50 goals from 100 shots on target.

Since Sancho made his Dortmund debut, only Erling Haaland (57) – another rumoured United target – and Marco Reus (51) have scored more goals, while Sancho has also provided 57 assists, easily a team high.

Sancho has crafted 285 chances, 104 more than any of his Dortmund team-mates, with Raphael Guerreiro (181) ranking second, while he has created 65 'Big Chances', those which Opta define as an opportunity from which a player would be expected to score.

Among players in Europe's top five leagues, only Sancho and Lionel Messi have created over 180 chances, scored at least 30 goals and provided more than 40 assists in all competitions since the start of the 2018-2019 campaign.

COMPARISONS TO UNITED'S CROP

Sancho's close friend and England team-mate Marcus Rashford all but confirmed the move to Old Trafford on social media on Wednesday, and he will be one of the wide players competing for a place in United's attack.

In 104 Bundesliga appearances, Sancho netted 38 times, averaging a goal every 197 minutes. That betters Rashford's ratio of a strike every 223 minutes in 79 Premier League appearances for United, while Anthony Martial (55 goals from 167 games) and Daniel James (six goals from 48 appearances) also fall short of Sancho's goals-per-minute average.

Of the quartet, James leads the way in terms of shooting accuracy (63.41 per cent), though Sancho's shots-to-goal conversion rate of 33.63 per cent in the league is far better than any of the three United forwards, Martial (24.02) the closest to him.

Though perhaps not as versatile as Rashford and Martial, who can both lead the line as well as play out wide, Sancho has recorded 45 assists, 15 more than Rashford (30), 19 more than Martial (26) and 38 more than James (seven), while his chances created total of 219 tops the comparison table by some distance – Martial ranking second with 177.

The former City youngster's dribble success rate of 52.21 per cent is also clear of his soon-to-be fellow United wingers, while his passing accuracy of 84.18 per cent could just prove the difference as United look to mount a title challenge, with Rashford, Martial and James not quite so consistent when it comes to the final ball.

Another player who could be competing with Sancho for a place in the side is Mason Greenwood, who has played much of his football on the right flank for United.

The teenager scored 12 goals in all competitions last term, four fewer than Sancho.

Sancho, who played fewer minutes, boasted a better shot conversion rate in the campaign – 21.33 per cent from 75 efforts, compared to 12 per cent of 100 attempts – while his 18 assists is over three times more than Greenwood's tally of five.

Despite his struggles cementing a place in the England first team, the numbers suggest Sancho should have little trouble fitting in at Old Trafford.