Xavi's top target set to reject move to Barcelona as Juventus enter race - Reports

Barcelona and Xavi's January target, Jadon Sancho, is reportedly set to reject a move to the Catalan club, with Juventus entering the race for the player's signature.

According to El Nacional, the La Liga side were the favorites to acquire the Manchester United winger's services on a loan deal. However, the 23-year-old may have his head turned with the aforementioned Italian giants expressing their interest in him.

These transfer rumors come in at a time when the former Borussia Dortmund man has seen no game time following his falling-out with Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag. Sancho was left out of Manchester United's matchday squad in the 3-1 loss to Arsenal on September 3 due to poor performances in training, as per ten Hag.

Reacting to these comments, the attacker posted his response on X, claiming the manager's statements to be untrue. Although Sancho later deleted the post, he has not appeared for the Manchester outfit since the clash with Arsenal.

He's managed just three appearances for Manchester United this season, all coming off the bench, adding up to a total playing time of 76 minutes. Since joining Old Trafford in 2021 for a fee of €85 million, the forward has scored just 12 goals from 82 appearances.

Currently, a move away in January seems the best option for Sancho. It remains to be seen whether he decides to join Serie A or La Liga in January.

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Former Manchester United star Roy Keane urges Jadon Sancho to apologize amid interest from Barcelona

Jadon Sancho (via Getty Images)

Former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane believes Red Devils outcast Jadon Sancho must apologize in order to move on from his ongoing feud with Erik ten Hag.

Despite interest from Barcelona and other clubs in the player, Keane believes that Sancho could still have a future at Old Trafford. He said about the Englishman's situation on the Stick to Football podcast (via talkSPORT):

"We’ve been in dressing rooms where players have come in and said: 'Sorry lads I have made a mistake', it is forgotten about very quickly."

"Football dressing rooms are a strange dynamic, if a player shows they care and they are human, it’s fine. We move on quickly."

With the reported opportunity to join Barcelona or Juventus, Sancho may well decide to exit Old Trafford. Both clubs are placed third in their respective leagues, while Manchester United continue to struggle, sitting 10th in the English top flight.