The genius Manchester United and PSG swap transfer deal that could kill two birds with one stone

There appears to have been a slight thawing of tensions. It wasn’t so very long ago that Jadon Sancho was a pariah at Old Trafford - an outcast getting changed in a broom cupboard and eating packed lunches with the youth teams. The notion that him and Erik ten Hag would ever so much as share a civil word again seemed improbable.

Hard cut to this weekend, and Sancho not only made it onto a football pitch in a Manchester United shirt, but also drew praise from his manager/nemesis. Discussing the England international and fellow winger Antony, Ten Hag said: "For each individual it's different. Nobody has the same background, but it's clear that we want to win and both are excellent players."

The chances of some kind of miraculous resurgence in Sancho’s fortunes at Old Trafford still feel rather slim, however. Even in spite of his substitute appearance in that friendly defeat against Arsenal, the expectation is that he will leave the club over the coming weeks, and French giants Paris Saint-Germain appear to have emerged as the most ardent of his suitors.

According to Sports Zone, the Ligue 1 outfit already have an agreement in principle in place with the player himself, but are still yet to meet the £50 million price tag that United have reportedly slapped on Sancho. Whether they harbour the inclination to stump up that kind of fee, only they will know, but there is perhaps a way in which United could be tempted into lowering the valuation.

As per the Express, the Red Devils are considering asking PSG about the possibility of a swap deal involving Sancho and one of a number of their unwanted talents. The names that are suggested in that regard are those of Uruguayan midfielder Manuel Ugarte, French right-back Nordi Mukiele, and Slovakian centre-back Milan Skriniar. All three would have their merits.

Ugarte has been linked with United for some time now, and would add a certain amount of grit and ballast to the centre of the park. For his part, Mukiele would represent the full-back acquisition that Ten Hag is so evidently chasing this summer, while you could say something similar about Skriniar. Even though United have moved to bring in Leny Yoro already, they are still very much in the market for further defensive reinforcements, and the PSG man would be a fine and experienced addition.

Ultimately, then, United have options - or at least they should if PSG are willing to play ball. Whichever path that they choose to pursue, whichever player they look to secure as a makeweight in the Sancho deal, this could prove to be a very savvy way of offloading a big earner who presumably has no sustainable future under Ten Hag, while also going some way towards plugging one of a several relatively problematic areas in their squad.

Whether United decide to push for a swap, and whether PSG would be willing to take the bait if they do, remains to be seen, but certainly, it could be something for both clubs to mull over.