I used data to find Manchester United an alternative to Jadon Sancho. A thread

To begin, we need to understand the strength's of Sancho's game and what he'd offer if he was to come to United. so...

1. He has the ability to make space for himself and the players around him. For his position he's definitely in top bracket of dribblers in the Bundesliga.

2. His chance creation off the dribble is slightly above average. Instead, most of the situations in which he carves out chances from are quick combination plays and incisive passes rather than bursting runs through the heart of the opposition.

3. Sancho's pass selection generally is quite balanced and for a player with such a high pass completion a fair amount of his passes are progressive. Not too risky, Not too guarded

4. Sancho's creativity is bordering on world-class, he creates chances in high volume and high quality.

5. In terms of how he creates chances, Sancho's game is based on through balls and passes into the penalty area, rather than whipped crosses into the box. In a United team that's based on quick and inventive interplay to create chances, this would've fitted in perfectly

6. Sancho is one of the only young 2-way players in Europe, players who can score and create to an extremely high level. His output is world-class.

Now that we understand Sancho's game, we can look for effective replacements, with similar strength's for a more reasonable price.

To do this, I set a filter for potential replacement options based on what Sancho would have offered:

- U24
- 1.9+ Dribbles p90
- 55%+ Dribble success
- 3+ Progressive passes p90
- 1.5+ Key passes p90
- 70%+ Pass completion
- 0.35+ xG+xA
- 1.4+ Passes into penalty area p90

The above filter gave me a shortlist of 5 players, which I'll rank below

Hounorable mentions:

Martin Odegaard offers incredible technical ability and can carve out chances at will. Only a lack of goalscoring potential stopped him from making the top 5

Similarly, Amine Harit also excels in the same areas, but goalscoring stops him from making it.

5. Julian Brandt

Young and creative, Brandt fits the mould of a Sancho alternative perfectly. However, massive concerns about price, suitability on the right wing, and whether he'd even be interested in the move render this transfer very unrealistic.

4. Dejan Kulusevski

One of my personal favourites, Kulusevski would be an great transfer for United. Unfortunately however, him signing for Juventus means this transfer is relatively impossible. Furthermore, I have reservations on how his play style would fair in England.

Christopher Nkunku

After a great 19/20, Nkunku has turned heads across Europe. Incredible creativity and technical skills mean he'd be a great fit, however, much like the other options, price concerns make it unfeasible

Jack Grealish

Although he's best on the left, Jack Grealish's versatility and profile mean he'd slot nicely into United's squad. Previous experience in the Premier League also means he'd take minimal time to adapt. However, the £80m asking price is very off-putting.

Emi Buendia

Although there are concerns about his lack of goalscoring, Emi Buendia has the Premier League experience, the tactical fit, and would be happy to take a squad role if Sancho eventually comes. Also, he doesn't kill Greenwood's minutes, and is available for £20M

Overall:

it's very hard to find an 2-way player like Sancho, especially with the effect COVID has had on finances. So if I was in charge, I'd attempt to find a player that stylistically mirrors him, but doesn't rule out the chances of signing him later down the line.

Thanks for reading