The reason behind Sancho rejecting a permanent transfer to Villa has been revealed! Manchester United confirms contract renewal plans, no teammates bid farewell

Manchester United loaned Sancho to Premier League club Aston Villa on the September 1 summer deadline day. Villa is said to pay 80% of Sancho’s wages, with United responsible for the other 20%. If Sancho reaches specific performance targets, United will get a total of £5 million in loan fees and bonuses, which fully compensates for the 25-year-old English winger’s £250,000 weekly wage.

English media disclosed that Villa’s loan agreement lacks a buyout clause. United had hoped Villa would commit to a permanent transfer, but Villa declined. United’s plan is to trigger a one-year contract extension option if Sancho performs well. Of course, most people remain pessimistic about that happening.

Manchester United initially wanted to exchange Sancho for Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez with Villa, but Sancho’s refusal to transfer permanently caused the plan to fall through. The reason Sancho declined a permanent move is simple: it would mean a pay cut, while staying on loan allows him to earn his full wages for one or even two more years!

Despite this, former United chief scout Mike Brown revealed that the club’s leadership was still delighted about Sancho’s departure because they had feared he might remain. "Football Insider" reported that United was so eager to offload the "five mice" demanded by Amrabat that they significantly lowered their asking prices, not only for Sancho but also Rashford, Garnacho, and even Højlund, who wasn’t on that list.

“Manchester United are very pleased with the Sancho deal,” Brown explained, “because they were desperate to get rid of him and remove his wages from the books, but it seemed no one wanted to take him. We negotiated with various clubs and signed different loan agreements, but the worrying thing was that he was more likely to stay.”

Although United crushed Villa’s hopes of reaching the Champions League in the final round last season, Villa seems not to hold a grudge. Brown added: “Villa helped solve the Sancho issue by covering a large part of his wages. I think this deal benefits United more than Villa, especially considering the current financial state of both clubs. Meanwhile, United also managed to sell Antony for nearly £22 million, so from that perspective, it was a good day for United.”

Sancho will wear the same number 19 shirt at Villa as he did last season on loan at Chelsea. Explaining his choice to join Villa, the English winger said: “Firstly, when I spoke with the coach (Emery), he gave me confidence and showed me the plan for this year, which really motivated me. It was indeed his persuasion that convinced me, and I can’t wait to play under him. As long as the coach needs me, I’ll gladly play. Of course, I have personal goals, but my top priority is to help the team.”

The controversial player also expressed his determination to his new club: “We must achieve great things and move towards that goal. Hopefully, I can help the team reach those objectives. The team comes first; team achievements are more special than individual ones. I think all players have personal goals, but the team is always the priority.”

Rashford, who is also on loan at Barcelona, supports Sancho trying his luck at Villa Park. Sancho said: “When he came here last season, I talked to him, and I knew he really enjoyed his time here. He said many good things about the club, like it feels like a family, the atmosphere is friendly, and there are great players and staff. I also felt all that when I arrived.”

Interestingly, Sancho’s transfer seems to have gone unnoticed by Manchester United players, as no teammate commented on his social media transfer posts. Captain Bruno Fernandes and others have made no response, indicating that the players might have already lost interest in their former teammate.