When Jadon Sancho joined Manchester United for €85 million on July 23rd, 2021, two things were surmised. Firstly, the Red Devils were thought to have captured a generational talent in the form of Sancho, who had produced 40 goals and 54 assists in 118 Bundesliga appearances for Borussia Dortmund.
Secondly, it was argued that Sancho’s acquisition would fire Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s United side to a long overdue title charge, especially with the classy Raphael Varane and returning hero Cristiano Ronaldo also joining in the summer of 2021.
The Norwegian coach barely lasted four more months in the Old Trafford hotseat, however, while Sancho has continued to cut an enigmatic, frustrated and occasionally disruptive presence in Erik ten Hag’s squad. With a new season approaching, however, it’s worth asking whether United can finally maximise the 24-year-old’s obvious potential.
Sancho’s United Career so Far
While Sancho produced an impressive 94 goals involvements in just 118 Bundesliga appearances for Dortmund (at a rate of 0.79 per 90 minutes), his output in the EPL has been noticeably lower.
In fact, he has made 58 appearances in the Premier League for Manchester United, which have yielded just 15 goal contributions (nine goals, six assists). This equates to just 0.25 goal involvements per 90.
He struggled in a chaotic first season following the departure of Solskjaer, but initially performed well under the stewardship of ten Hag. He even contributed a superb goal in a pivotal 2-1 win over Liverpool in August, but he struggled both physically and mentally after being left out of England’s 2022 World Cup squad.
A period of isolated training in the Netherlands followed, but Sancho returned to some kind of form at the end of the 2022/23 campaign. Another positive pre-season followed, but he once again flattered to deceive at the beginning of the new campaign and was called out publicly by ten Hag. The Dutchman questioned Sancho’s training performance after he was omitted from the squad prior to a 3-1 defeat at Arsenal.
Sancho subsequently fired back and accused ten Hag of scapegoating him. He was then dropped and banished from the squad for refusing to apologise, before sealing a loan move back to Dortmund in January.
What Next for Sancho?
Whether you like to wager in-person or target the best betting sites in India, you would have gotten short odds on Sancho leaving Old Trafford this summer. However, Dortmund could not afford to make his loan move permanent, so he has since returned to England and appeared to make amends with ten Hag.
He even started as a false nine in the absence of the injured Rasmus Højlund during the recent 3-2 friendly win over Real Betis, showcasing determination, intelligent movement and silky touches throughout. He certainly brings a different dimension to the Red Devils’ attack, with his superb dribbling skills and link-play compensating for a lack of raw pace and physicality.
However, Sancho continues to be linked with a move away from Old Trafford, and PSG are circling ahead of a potential bid. So, ten Hag and the club’s hierarchy need to determine a viable strategy for resolving their Sancho conundrum, whether they look to deploy and maximise his ability in the first team or cash in on his existing market value.
The temptation may be to keep Sancho, given his skillset, performances for Dortmund last season and the ongoing struggles of fellow winger Anthony. Remember, he completed a record 12 dribbles in Dortmund’s UCL first leg semi-final win over PSG, highlighting his unique ability to carry the ball and beat opponents in one-on-one situations.
The real issue here is Sancho’s lack of physicality, however, which has caused him to struggle with the pace and power of the Premier League. Unless he can overcome this and demonstrate a superior mentality during the 2024/25 season, then Hag may ultimately have little choice to sell Sancho and raise money for other areas of the team.
