Sancho’s fall from grace – £73m fee to Chelsea paying not to sign him

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.