COMMENT: Jadon Sancho and Manchester United. As a symbol you couldn't get anything more clear. Not for those up the road. Nor even for Sancho's current club...
By rights, if Sancho is to leave Borussia Dortmund this summer, it really should be to return to Manchester City. The more successful club. The more successful manager. And with the obvious ties of three years inside the City academy.
Indeed, Ferran Soriano, the club's chief exec, and sporting director Txiki Begiristain - just as they did with countless young hopefuls coming through Barcelona's La Masia system - protected City with a first refusal option negotiated in the original move. No matter the offer on the table, City would have first refusal to match that and ferry Sancho back to the Etihad campus.
Thing is, City don't wish to play that game now. More significantly, nor does Sancho. The ties are now severed - forever. And the twist of course is that United, despite living deep, deep in the shadow of the Sky Blues these past seven years, are the ones Sancho wants to bunk in with.
Some are arguing it's simply a case of money. United are willing to meet Dortmund's £100m-plus valuation - and also upgrade a 20 year-old Sancho's wages by multiples. For City, they say, the outlay involved is ridiculous - especially for a lad who only turned 20 three weeks ago.
And at first flush, it'd be a decent argument. But United - even at 20 years of age - aren't just gambling on potential. They're buying for the here-and-now.
A full England international. A midfielder whom, despite being played further back by coach Lucien Favre, sits third in the race for the Bundesliga Golden Boot - and is placed second in assists. Essentially, United are moving for the second (or at worst third) best attacking player in Germany. And he's 20 years of age. 100 million quid and a decent wage rise would seem business as usual for anyone else.
But this runs deeper than simply money. As we say, the symbolism cannot be overstated. Sancho, a former City player, could be pulling on the Red shirt of United next season. Furthermore, he could be doing it in the Champions League - all the while his old club find themselves barred from the competition courtesy of UEFA's two season ban. Trading places anyone?
The funny thing is, inside United, Sancho's arrival isn't being viewed as one in the eye for those up the road. Indeed, if there's any spite driving the motivation to get this deal done, the subject of United's ire is Sancho's current club.
The public face suggests otherwise, but there still remains some resentment at United over the way they lost to BVB in the battle for Erling Haaland's signature. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the United manager, hasn't allowed his feelings to reach the surface - though there has been the odd swipe at Haaland's agent Mino Raiola via a proxied Paul Pogba. But the way BVB caved into the Haaland camp's demands (and we now have confirmation of the buyout clause) has left some lingering resentment inside Carrington.
So the chance to nick Sancho away will bring a bit of satisfaction to those involved in the Haaland negotiations. And if they can convince Jude Bellingham, Birmingham City's 16 year-old superkid, to do the same... then even better.
Dortmund had identified Bellingham some 18 months ago and have speaking with his camp for over a year. That United are now on the brink of securing the teen's commitment will be a body blow for the BVB front office given the groundwork they've put in. There was definitely a flurry of phone calls amongst Dortmund reps and intermediaries when that story of Bellingham and his parents being given a tour of Carrington by Sir Alex Ferguson emerged.
In this battle of one-upmanship, United rolled out the red carpet. Never one to back away from a battle, Sir Alex was happy to oblige. The Scot well across how Solskjaer, after all the effort he'd put into the Haaland deal, was beaten to the punch by Dortmund. That Alfie Haaland, Erling's father, aimed a not so subtle dig at United - virtually echoing the claims of Raiola (though not in such a bombastic manner) - has only fueled United's motivation further regarding Sancho and Bellingham.
"You have to go to a club where the whole club wants you, not just the coach," argued Haaland Snr, the former City midfielder.
"I think that's the most important thing, in addition to how the club has been over the last five or ten years and what direction they've taken."
No divergence of opinion here. It could have been Raiola, himself. And it really only served to further galvanise United on their two fronts against Haaland's current club.
Sancho and Bellingham? For Solskjaer, ushering both English starlets through the Carrington gates will represent a huge step in his long-term plans. And for United and the relationship with their nearest rivals, the symbolism - and no little vindication - will run so much deeper.
