A standoff between Manchester United’s manager, Erik ten Hag, and star player Jadon Sancho continues, but there may be a resolution on the horizon.
Jadon Sancho, the Manchester United standout, could find himself presented with an unexpected opportunity in the coming weeks.
Ever since he publicly criticized Erik ten Hag on social media following a loss to Arsenal in September, Sancho has been training separately from the first-team squad at Manchester United. He has even been having his meals in isolation at the training ground.
With Sancho steadfastly refusing to apologize to Ten Hag, the most logical outcome appears to be his departure from Manchester United, either in January or next summer. While there have been reports of potential new destinations, there is still a faint glimmer of hope that Sancho might reconcile with the club at Old Trafford.
According to The Athletic, Ten Hag firmly believes that the responsibility for resolving the impasse rests on Sancho’s shoulders. A personal apology is deemed indispensable for any prospect of repairing their strained relationship. Football director John Murtough has also made efforts to encourage Sancho to issue an apology, and some teammates concur that it would be the best course of action.
However, an apology from Sancho does not appear to be imminent. Consequently, it seems likely that the 23-year-old will depart from Manchester United in the coming months. Interestingly, Borussia Dortmund, despite Sancho’s exceptional performances for the Bundesliga side prior to his £73 million transfer to United in 2021, is not among the clubs expressing interest in him.
Dortmund seems unwilling to consider a deal for a player who had disciplinary issues during his time at the club, and especially after his stint at Manchester United.
Instead, The Athletic has suggested that Chelsea has emerged as a potential destination for Sancho. This is due to his connections to London, Chelsea’s recent focus on young talents in their transfer strategies, and Mauricio Pochettino’s track record in extracting top performances from underperforming stars.
Notably, Fabrizio Romano has previously confirmed Chelsea’s interest in Sancho, and there were reports of a potential swap deal involving Marc Cucurella in the summer. However, the deal fell through after Cucurella appeared in the Carabao Cup for Chelsea, rendering him ineligible for future cup competitions.