After his emotional reaction to being benched for the Premier League loss against Arsenal, Jadon Sancho is fighting to win back the confidence of his Manchester United teammates as well as manager Erik ten Hag, a source has informed ESPN.
Ten Hag claimed after the game that Sancho, 23, was left off the squad at the Emirates due to subpar training results. Sancho, 23, responded forcefully on social media, calling Ten Hag’s claims, “completely untrue” and claiming that he had been used as a “scapegoat for a long time.”
However, a source close to United’s players said to ESPN that there is little sympathy for Sancho there and that “the players have had enough of him.”
After spending £73 million ($91 million) to buy Sancho from Borussia Dortmund, Ten Hag and his coaching staff have grown frustrated with the former Manchester City youth player’s performance in practice and on gameday, as well as his demeanor around the club.
Despite Sancho’s quick response to Ten Hag’s statements in the Arsenal post-game press conference—Sancho has not deleted his tweet and it is still pinned to the top of his X account—sources claim that the United manager has not felt the need to clarify or soften his remarks.
The former Ajax coach also publicly acknowledged that Marcus Rashford was benched for the Premier League game at Wolves last season because he missed a team meeting. Ten Hag also publicly criticized Cristiano Ronaldo on two occasions for his behavior prior to the forward’s departure following a mutually agreed contract cancellation last November.
Sources claim that despite a source’s claim that Sancho’s reaction was not met with surprise, the players appreciate and respect Ten Hag’s strict attitude because it applies to every member of the squad without exception and regardless of their standing.
According to sources who spoke with ESPN, Sancho and Ten Hag will discuss the forward’s future before United’s match against Brighton on September 16.
According to sources, United had preliminary discussions on a potential loan on Thursday with Steven Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq FC, but no agreement could be reached before the Saudi Pro League transfer market closed.
Ten Hag will now have to decide if Sancho will be a member of the team for the first half of the season.
Sancho has contributed six assists and 12 goals in 82 first-team appearances after signing a five-year deal with United in the summer of 2021. In 38 games in all competitions during his final season with Borussia Dortmund, he scored 16 goals and contributed 20 assists.