Al-Ettifaq are set to launch an 11th hour bid to sign Jadon Sancho on loan, according to CBS Sports sources. The England winger has been cast out to the fringes of the Manchester United squad by Erik ten Hag, who publicly criticised his attitude to training following last weekend's 3-1 defeat at Arsenal.
Sancho retaliated by saying that he had been made a "scapegoat" for United's difficulties and there is a burgeoning sense that the relationship between the player and manager is at breaking point.
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Steven Gerrard's club hope that a fresh start in Saudi Arabia can tempt Sancho to depart Old Trafford, at least temporarily, and have opened discussions over a deal that would take the 23-year-old to the Pro League for the remainder of the season. Al-Ettifaq would be open to including a buy option in the deal but given that the Saudi window closes in less than 12 hours, sources with knowledge of negotiations believe it is more likely that the clubs will agree on a straight loan deal.
It remains to be seen whether Sancho himself will be open to the move. Under Gerrard, Al-Ettifaq have constructed something of an English core for themselves, recruiting Jordan Henderson from Liverpool and securing Demarai Gray from Everton earlier on Thursday. Henderson's former teammate at Anfield, Georginio Wijnaldum, has joined along with Moussa Dembele with the Dammam-based club having established themselves as the biggest spenders of those clubs not owned by the Public Investment Fund.
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Meanwhile, on a hectic deadline day in the Saudi Pro League, Al-Ittihad are closing in on signing Luiz Felipe from Real Betis, giving them the center back they have been coveting ahead of the Club World Cup, but they are no closer to securing Mohamed Salah after an opening bid was rejected by Liverpool.
Al-Shabab are working to sign Nicolas Pepe from Arsenal. The Gunners have lined up several suitors for their once-record signing this summer but so far he has not been able to reach an agreement with any of them, talks with Al-Khaleej having collapsed earlier in the window.
