It looked like Jadon Sancho was gearing up for a major change this summer, with rumors swirling about his exit from Manchester United just before the transfer window slammed shut.

AS Roma's director, Claudio Ranieri, provided insight into why a promising deal for Sancho fell apart. Earlier in the summer, the winger's fate seemed uncertain after Chelsea, who had an agreement to buy him in 2024, paid a hefty £5 million penalty for not meeting personal terms with the player.

As Sancho reported back for pre-season training, he informed Manchester United that he wanted out before the transfer window closed—a significant move for a 25-year-old player wanting a fresh start.

With Sancho placed among the 'bomb squad'—a group distanced from the first team—the excitement built when Roma expressed strong interest in bringing him to Italy. Fans on both sides were hopeful that a transfer was imminent.

However, fate had other plans. Instead, the deadline saw United striking a loan deal with Aston Villa for Sancho. The collapse of the Roma deal was shrouded in mystery until Ranieri's recent comments shed some light.

In an interview with Sky Sport Italia, he stated, "It was a very expensive operation economically, but the Friedkins would have done it to please the coach. Of course, someone needed to be sold to fund the deal." He clarified that until a key player was sold, they couldn't pursue Sancho—saying, "I don’t think that a valuable player would have ever been sold because we want to keep them at the moment."

Ranieri emphasized their strategy to bring in young talents and sell them, in line with the requirements of Financial Fair Play (FFP). In the same vein, United also had to manage their FFP concerns, making it imperative to find Sancho a new club.

Before the deadline, United managed to offload several players to balance their wage bill, including notable exits like Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford. Additionally, goalkeeper Andre Onana is anticipated to depart before Turkey’s transfer window closes, with Trabzonspor lining up a loan deal.

The saga of Jadon Sancho’s transfer illustrates the complex realities of football transfers, especially against the backdrop of financial regulations, revealing just how precarious player movements can be.