Jadon Sancho’s Manchester United contract will expire at the end of the following season, and it might be getting close to the point where a decision regarding his future is required.
The five-year contract Sancho signed when he transferred from Borussia Dortmund for £73 million contains the option of an additional year, meaning he may be committed to the club until 2027. However, to earn that, he must significantly improve from his first two seasons.
The fact that the player on whom United made what at the time seemed to be a fantastic bargain has thus far fallen short of that worth may sum up the club’s sporadic transfer disaster. Borussia Dortmund sought £108 million for Sancho in 2020, but United was unwilling to negotiate. After a year, they had amassed a £35 million savings.
The issue is that Sancho doesn’t appear to be a £73 million winger based on his two seasons at Old Trafford. His first season was challenging; under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the season started to break apart, and when Ralf Rangnick took over, everything just fell apart.
Given his background playing in the Bundesliga, Sancho should have fitted Rangnick’s approach; also, he appeared to be a player who would benefit from Erik ten Hag’s coaching style once the Dutchman arrived. In his debut season at the club, Ten Hag significantly improved a number of players with his thoughtful teaching techniques and clear play structures.
But Sancho wasn’t one of them after a strong preseason and a solid first few months. The 23-year-old required the three-month hiatus he received throughout the season because he was having physical and mental difficulties, but once more, a hopeful comeback to the side faded out.
Sancho may have been acquired during the Solskjaer era, but he appeared to be a strong fit for the team under any manager. In the words of Solskjaer at the time, “he is a forward player in the best traditions of Manchester United.”
However, the dynamic dribbler we seen in the Bundesliga has seldom ever appeared in England. When he signed, Solskjaer claimed he had “untapped potential,” and if that is the case, it has yet to be realized.
Sancho has played in 55 of United’s 78 Premier League games over the course of two seasons, starting just 41 of them. Nine goals and six assists equals just 0.38 goals per 90 minutes, which is quite low. He played 104 games over four seasons in the Bundesliga, contributing to one goal on average every 90 minutes.
Sancho’s attacking productivity has undoubtedly decreased, but he also doesn’t appear to be the same player. At Dortmund, he was a versatile player who frequently started as a No. 10, occasionally played on the left, but mostly on the right. He has failed to settle into his ideal position at Old Trafford.
He has appeared more at ease cutting infield on the left than the right, and Ten Hag said last season that he believed Sancho preferred to play there. However, he was primarily signed as a right winger.
He is currently to the right of Antony and to the left of Marcus Rashford. Last season, he was rather successful as a central impact sub.
But this season feels crucial and there hasn’t been enough from him so far. If Amad does well in preseason and Ten Hag decides to sign another striker, Rashford may face even more competition and play more often on the left than he did last year.
At the beginning of the season, Sancho might have to be content with a role as a replacement, but he must seize his opportunities. When it came to contract negotiations, we were having a similar conversation about Rashford a year prior because he appeared to have lost his way.
But Rashford was the star in Ten Hag’s debut campaign. He found his form and his confidence while becoming the first United player to hit 30 goals in a season in ten years.
Sancho will receive the same chance from Ten Hag. At Carrington, he will receive the guidance he needs and detailed instructions on how to work within this framework, but it does feel like the rest is now up to him.