Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag has suggested that Jadon Sancho will not be signing for Chelsea.
Earlier in the summer transfer window, Ten Hag and Sancho resolved their well-documented differences for the winger to return to the first-team squad.
The recent Borussia Dortmund loanee subsequently featured on a regular basis during pre-season, as well as making an appearance in the Community Shield.
However, Sancho played no part of the opening two Premier League fixtures against Fulham and Brighton & Hove Albion respectively, leading to renewed talk about his future.
On Friday, it was reported that Chelsea were making progress in their efforts to secure a deal for Sancho, whether that be on a permanent or temporary basis.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the 24-year-old has given the nod to making the switch to Stamford Bridge if a deal can be agreed.
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Ten Hag ready to keep Sancho
Nevertheless, when quizzed on the subject during a press conference on Friday, Ten Hag has insisted that Sancho is likely to remain at the Theatre of Dreams.
When asked if Sancho is staying put, Ten Hag replied: "As I know, yes.
"He is in our squad and we are happy with him. We need a good squad, we need depth. We have to play many games until January. After the break we play every third day so we need options."
As it stands, the indication is that Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Amad Diallo and Antony are all ahead of Sancho in the pecking order. Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount are also capable of playing out wide.
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Sterling factor?
A report earlier on Friday indicated that United are open to Raheem Sterling moving to Old Trafford, even though it was claimed that resolving Sancho's situation was the priority.
Sterling is allegedly more likely to move to Arsenal than he is United, yet it is plausible that the 29-year-old could act as a direct replacement for Sancho in a separate deal.
Darren Plant
