Chelsea have declined the opportunity to sign Jadon Sancho on a permanent contract, with West Ham now interested in the winger.
The England international will leave Stamford Bridge when his contract ends on June 30.
Sancho, who spent the 2024-25 season on loan from Manchester United, netted five times in 42 appearances including his strike in the UEFA Conference League final win over Real Betis.
But his efforts have been in vain with the Blues turning down the chance to keep him in west London.
The decision will come at a cost for Chelsea who must pay a £5million penalty to Manchester United as per the terms of Sancho’s loan deal.
The Blues could have signed him for £25m and talks were held over negotiating his wage demands to fit in with the structure at Stamford Bridge.
However, an agreement could not be reached and he returns to United.
And that means he will not be jetting out to the United States next week when Chelsea kick off their FIFA Club World Cup campaign despite being eligible for the competition.
The 25-year-old will now weigh up his options and is open to both staying in the Premier League and another move abroad.
West Ham are believed to be interested in keeping Sancho in London as Graham Potter plots a summer rebuild at the London Stadium.
Reports have suggested that the Hammers could be tempted into a swap deal involving Muhammed Kudus which would see the Ghanaian heading to Old Trafford.
Chelsea had planned to keep hold of Sancho but talks broke down after both parties failed to agree personal terms.
The Blues explored ways of fitting the ex-Borussia Dortmund star into their incentive-driven wage structure but a compromise could not be reached.
Sancho earns a whopping £250,000 a week at Manchester United, something Chelsea were not willing to match.
The Blues had hoped to tie the winger down to a long-term contract on lower wages as has been their method of operating in recent years.
According to journalist Ben Jacobs, Chelsea are working on a right-footed left winger.
Jamie Gittens and Alejandro Garnacho two of Chelsea main targets, while Nico Williams remains appreciated but costly to pull off.
The possibility remains that Sancho could be re-integrated into the Manchester United squad.
The player’s previous gripes came with former United boss Erik ten Hag while he is yet to work with Ruben Amorim who took charge while Sancho was on loan at Chelsea.
However, Amorim may instruct the United hierarchy to sell Sancho in order to raise much-needed transfer funds ahead of a crucial summer for the club.
