Man Utd news: Jadon Sancho intention confirmed as secret weapon to hijack transfer emerges

 fter Arsenal's win in Lisbon ensured the Premier League will have at least five teams in next season's Champions League, Manchester United's task is clear. Michael Carrick's team will return to action against Leeds on Monday with seven games left to clinch a top-five finish, which can convince transfer targets ahead of a pivotal summer window.

A few players will be leaving Old Trafford this summer, with Jadon Sancho and Casemiro set to move on when their contracts expire. Harry Maguire will stick around, though, having agreed a new deal.

Maguire and his United team-mates will want to get points on the board before facing European rivals Chelsea and Liverpool in the closing weeks of the season. The Red Devils currently sit third, six points clear of fifth-place Liverpool and seven clear of Liam Rosenior's Blues in sixth.

Even before those final positions are confirmed, there has been plenty of speculation about what we'll see during the summer transfer window. Here are Mirror Football's latest lines from around Old Trafford.

Dortmund chief confirms Sancho stance

Lars Ricken, Borussia Dortmund's managing director for sport, indicated Jadon Sancho is one of a number of players the club are assessing in the lead-up to the transfer window opening. Sancho starred for Dortmund before joining Manchester United for £73m in 2021 and also had a spell on loan with the club as they reached the 2024 Champions League final.

"We are currently looking at and analysing a lot of players," Ricken told SportBILD. "We are assessing whether they can improve our team. We are doing the same with Jadon."

Dortmund are set to lose Julian Brandt this summer, and a replacement for the German is likely to be high on their list of priorities. "We will have to compensate for Julian Brandt's creativity and scoring contributions; we were aware of that when we made our decision," Ricken said.

"Naturally, we are looking for an attacking player who brings quality, can help us immediately, and doesn't require an exorbitant transfer fee. In defence, Niklas Süle is leaving us, and Emre Can is out for an extended period. Therefore, we are also considering options there."

Ederson hijack hope

Long-time Manchester United target Ederson appeared to be set for a move to Atletico Madrid in the summer. However, the Premier League side could hold a trump card that allows them to steal a march in the race for the Atalanta star.

According to reports in Italy, Atalanta remain keen to bring out-of-favour United forward Joshua Zirkzee to Bergamo. The Dutch striker is believed to want to stay and fight for his place at Old Trafford, but an exit could pave the way for Ederson to move in the opposite direction.

Brazilian midfielder Ederson is reported to have agreed terms with Atleti, but no official announcement has followed. The 26-year-old remains an important part of Raffaele Palladino's squad but is out of contract in 2027, and this summer could be the last chance for Atalanta to cash in.

United are due to lose Casemiro this summer and could also be set to offload Manuel Ugarte. A number of other midfielders have also been linked with the club, including Premier League stars Elliot Anderson, Carlos Baleba and Adam Wharton.