Jadon Sancho has been warned that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may not be the best manager for his development, with Paul Ince urging caution amid mounting talk of interest from Manchester United in the Borussia Dortmund winger.
The Red Devils are said to be mulling over a big-money bid for the England international, with there plenty of speculation to suggest that a £100 million ($125m) deal could be in the offing.
United are eager to bring added creativity and goal threat into their ranks, with Solskjaer seeking further inspiration in the middle of the park and on the flanks.
Sancho is an obvious option for those at Old Trafford, as he ticks boxes when it comes to home-grown talent and future potential, but they are not the only side to be casting admiring glances in the direction of a Bundesliga star.
They may not be the best fit either, with Ince expressing concern when it comes to Solskjaer’s ability to lift the level of those at his disposal to even greater heights.
The former United midfielder told Paddy Power: “When it comes to transfers, it’s not just about the team, it’s about the manager.
“Sometimes as a player, it’s about looking at a team’s manager and coaching staff and whether they’d take you to that next level. That’s a decision Sancho will need to make.
“He’s [Solskjaer] clearly trying to develop a young team, so that will help, but in terms of actually the man-to-man management and development of someone like Sancho, he’s a total unknown. We’ve not seen any evidence yet that he can take a player to the next level.
“He’s not been at United long enough to know that, but also because in his previous jobs he’s not had players like that at his disposal.”
Ince, who spent six years with the Red Devils before heading to Italy in 1995, added: “To use myself as an example, when I went to Inter Milan, I became a far better player under Roy Hodgson.
“He truly took my game to a next level, I felt fitter, stronger, my awareness went up tenfold. That, plus the change in culture and experience that I had.
“What I’m saying is, Sancho needs to consider all of those factors, culture, environment, team and ultimately the manager.”