Archive June 3, 2025

Jadon Sancho chose one of Europe’s best clubs for the summer of 2020.

The England winger turned 20 when Borussia Dortmund recorded 17 goals and 16 assists in the Bundesliga, making him one of the most exciting young talents in the game.

He chose Manchester United, but they had to wait until the following year before agreeing to the deal after misunderstanding Dortmund’s deadline to do so as a bargaining chip.

However, United eventually acquired their man for £73 million in July 2021, with Sancho calling it “a dream come true” and anticipating that the former Manchester City academy player would dominate in the Premier League.

Sancho’s career is at a crossroads after four years and two loan deals with Chelsea, who are willing to pay United £5 million to end his commitment.

Under manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the side’s struggles did not help that Sancho’s United career did not begin to turn out to be the best of starts.

Sancho ended his first season with just five goals and three assists in all competitions after being fired in November 2021 as a result of the interim boss Ralf Ragnick’s failure to improve.

When Erik ten Hag was appointed in the summer of 2022, he hoped things would improve for both Sancho and the Old Trafford club. However, the player had a recurring problem that hindered his self-aggrandizement.

Sancho’s timekeeping was a problem prior to his time in Germany, but his performances on the field made Dortmund more willing to give him some leeway.

When Sancho’s form began to decline at United after it became clear he would miss out on being selected for the World Cup in Qatar, the same was not true for England.

Expectations for Sancho had already significantly decreased as he was returning to England for his third season.

Although Marcus Rashford had initially locked him into the left-wing position, he was no longer a guaranteed starter, despite his preference being that of playing on the right.

Ten Hag was then questioned about his absence after the loss to Arsenal in September 2023 when the London-born forward was substituted.

The Dutchman blatantly stated, “We didn’t select him because of his performance in training.” At Manchester United, you must consistently reach a level.

In a now-deleted social media post, Sancho almost immediately responded to the argument.

He stated, “I will not allow people to say things that are completely false.” This week’s training, I did a very good job of myself.

I won’t go into detail about the other causes of this problem, in my opinion. I’ve used as a scapegoat for a long time, which is unfair.

Sancho was forced to leave United for good in January 2024 as a result of his unwavering refusal to make amends to Ten Hag.

The winger had the opportunity to rediscover his best form and rehabilitate his reputation in a familiar setting when he made a second-half return to Dortmund.

He described being back in the Dortmund dressing room as “feeling like coming home.”

Sancho certainly looked more at ease as he helped the Bundesliga side reach the Champions League final, where they were defeated by Real Madrid, without ever achieving the levels of his first spell.

Although his 21 games of scoring and adding three assists may not seem like the most impressive stat, it was no surprise that it took him a while to recover from his lack of activity.

Jurgen Klinsmann, a former striker for Tottenham and Germany, claimed he struggled to find his rhythm and recover, but that his final game of the season was “looking good and looking sharp.”

Sancho left Old Trafford on loan on August 31 because Ten Hag was still in charge that summer, which limited his chances of staying.

The Blues agreed to pay a fee of around £25 million for Sancho if they placed them higher than 14th in the Premier League or have to waive a £5 million clause to exit the deal as part of it.

Chelsea only paid half of the player’s reported £300,000-a-week wages, which were not paid for on-loan.

Chelsea defeated Real Betis to win the Uefa Conference League, and Sancho did just that in the final.

Overall, though, he had a mixed campaign, scoring five goals and adding 10 assists in 42 games.

Sancho is currently on his way back to United, meaning the Stamford Bridge side chose to avoid signing him for £5 million instead of the £25 million fee, which is thought to be the main justification.

Numerous players “did not feel supported and felt unable to raise concerns” at the club, according to a report from the Football Association looking into the circumstances surrounding the death of former Sheffield United player Maddy Cusack.

The report was put together by the FA in early 2024, shortly after the midfielder’s passing in September 2023, at the age of 27.

The report that had been shared with the family and others was “provisional,” according to a hearing on Tuesday at Chesterfield Coroners’ Court, and would not be finalized until the inquest was concluded.

However, Dean Armstrong KC, who represents the Cusack family, quoted excerpts from it, including the claim that “most]players] particularly did not feel supported and unable to lodge complaints against their manager and others.

He also read the report’s section, which stated that “the investigation has highlighted the resourcing issues that are particularly prevalent in the women’s game and the potential welfare and safeguarding issues that may arise.”

Cusack, who was born in Nottingham and spent time at Birmingham and Leicester City before making 100 appearances for Sheffield United, started her career at Aston Villa.

Ex-Blades’ manager Jonathan Morgan, who was on video, accused Cusack’s family of “manipulating information” and creating a “narrative” in the 18 months since her death.

There was “no one who could dispute the credibility of those individuals,” he claimed, and the family’s witnesses were “very one-sided.”

Following submissions regarding the scope of the inquest and witnesses, coroner Sophie Cartwright will issue a written judgment.

In the years leading up to the footballer’s death, the Cusack family’s attorneys claimed there was a “climate of concern and fear” at Sheffield United.

One witness claimed Morgan once called a player “cancerous.”

They have requested that a jury be present for her inquest.

A jury’s investigation of the “position of young vulnerable people, obviously in this case particularly and predominantly females, who are susceptible and the degree to which they are susceptible to the influence that those in senior positions hold over them in professional or significant sporting contexts” was referred to as “clear public interest” by Mr. Armstrong KC.

In terms of resources and also in terms of how people are treated, he continued, “There was then and there is still a significant difference between the men’s game and the women’s game.”

There is a significant public interest in examining how women play their roles in the community and what support services are provided to vulnerable women like Maddy.