England international Jadon Sancho is set to leave Manchester United after an unsuccessful two-and-a-half-year stint at the club.
Sancho made waves at Borussia Dortmund, who he joined from Manchester City’s academy as one of the first few English talents to seek playing opportunities outside the United Kingdom.
United would win the battle for his signature, bringing him in alongside Cristiano Ronaldo in the 2021/22 season.
Like Ronaldo, the 23-year-old’s time at the club has been marred with bad moments. There have been no media outbursts yet, but the player did take to social media recently to put out a statement insinuating that he is being made into a scapegoat by the manager Erik ten Hag.
Sancho’s post came after he was left out of their 2023/24 Premier League matchday 4 squad and the Dutch tactician was asked why. His response led to Sancho’s which has now spiralled into a big issue that looks set to end in an exit for the England international, just like it did for Ronaldo.
Media claims suggest that the former Watford youth player could leave the club in the January transfer window. According to reports, ten Hag and Sancho were to meet and discuss the happenings of the past few weeks on Monday but the discussion did not yield any positives for both parties.
Ten Hag was revealed to have expressed a lack of trust in Sancho following the player’s social media post which seemed to challenge his authority as the team’s manager. The former AFC Ajax manager was believed to also have felt betrayed by the player after the support he showed him during his widely publicised mental health episode last year.
Sancho received a three-month leave from the club and was looked after by ten Hag to help him get back into match fitness. The latest episode has left the Dutchman feeling betrayed but the £73 million man reportedly stood his ground. The word around the club now is that he will seek a loan move in January with a view towards exiting the club on a permanent basis in the summer of 2024.
Sancho, who has registered just 12 goals and six assists in 82 United appearances for United, is also unlikely to get a run of games in the squad until the January window.
This could mean good news for academy graduate Facundo Pellistri, who has been on the fringes of the first team for years.
