Manchester United coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is ready to sell the winger Daniel James To finance a delayed move to Jadon SanchoSources told ESPN, but did not convince the club’s hierarchy yet to penalize a possible £ 25m sale to the Welsh international.

Solskjaer remains determined to test Borussia Dortmund’s resolve against Sancho, despite the German club’s insistence that he will not leave this year, but United are not close to Dortmund’s assessment of the England winger of 108 million pounds.

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ESPN reported earlier this summer that Solskjaer was disappointed by the club’s lack of lead over Sancho and was planning to make an opening bid of £ 50m, but the Norwegian still hoped United could make a breakthrough ahead of Monday’s transfer deadline.

With United’s finances scarce due to the impact of the pandemic, player sales could help raise cash before Sancho and James’ late move attracts attention.

James, 22, has scored four goals in 47 appearances for United since he completed a £ 18m transfer from Swansea during the 2019 summer transfer window.

But despite the youngster being selected in the starting line-up for United’s opening game this season against Crystal Palace, sources have told ESPN that Solskjaer and his back staff do not believe James can become an established player in the first team at Old Trafford.

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United has already rejected an attempt by Leeds United to take James on a season-long loan to Elland Road and it is understood Marcelo Bielsa’s team is ready to return with a bid to buy the player ahead of the transfer deadline on Monday.

But VIPs at United, led by Executive Vice President Ed Woodward, are reluctant to sanction James’s sale after he signed it just over a year ago.

Sources told ESPN that the United hierarchy believes it will send a negative message about the club’s ability to develop players if they allow a youngster’s signature to leave the club so quickly, even though a £ 25m deal would represent a £ 7m profit on James.

But with the transfer window closed at 11 pm GMT (6 pm ET) on Monday, United’s need to bolster their squad could lead to a change of mind in the boardroom on the merits of selling James.