Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc said the Bundesliga club would be happy for Jadon Sancho to stay in 2020-21 as Manchester United reportedly try to negotiate a blockbuster transfer.
Sancho has been tipped to swap Dortmund for United and the Premier League giants are nearing a deal for the England star after securing their Champions League status, according to growing speculation.
Dortmund, however, are apparently unwilling to lower their asking price for Sancho as the German side seek £109 million ($143m) from United.
Zorc addressed the rumours regarding Sancho on Thursday, saying: "Jadon is an outstanding footballer with a quota that I have never seen at this age.
"I think it would even stand up to being one of the largest in the industry if you look at its age.
"I would be happy if he would still play with us this season. And that's the current state of affairs.
"First of all we have to stick to the facts - and they are so, that we still have a contract with him until 2022."
Sancho left Manchester City for Dortmund in 2017 in pursuit of first-team football, and quickly established himself in the Bundesliga.
The 20-year-old scored 17 Bundesliga goals and supplied 16 assists in 2019-20 as Dortmund finished second behind champions Bayern Munich, while he netted 20 goals across all competitions.
Amid question marks over Sancho's future, former Manchester United forward and current Lyon captain Memphis Depay has reportedly emerged as a possible replacement for the Englishman at Dortmund.
Goal has learned that a formal bid for Sancho has yet to be submitted to Dortmund , with the Bundesliga outfit valuing the former Manchester City trainee at £120 million ($154m).
Woodward has warned it will not be "business as usual" in the transfer window this summer due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, and sources have dismissed claims that United will spend more than £100m ($129m) on any player.
It is understood, therefore, that United are looking to negotiate an initial deal for Sancho worth around £80m ($103m), with add-ons then included to potentially increase the final fee.
Dortmund are willing to part with Sancho and have already started planning for life without the 20-year-old, but there will have to be compromise from both sides if a deal is to be agreed.
Jesse Lingard, whose future is in doubt at Old Trafford, believes the Dortmund star would be a good addition to Solskjaer’s side as they push to compete for the Premier League next season.
“Jadon is a brilliant player. It is obviously up to him," Lingard said last Thursday. “I've seen him with England, I've seen his qualities and I feel like he'd be a great addition to any team.”