Jadon Sancho made a last-minute move to Chelsea on Friday, joining them on loan with a commitment to a permanent transfer next summer.
Previously, Sancho was sidelined from the first team after a public disagreement with ten Hag, but the two seemed to have reconciled during the pre-season, allowing Sancho to rejoin the squad.
Manchester United’s sporting director, Dan Ashworth, has now emphasized that there wasn’t a renewed conflict between Sancho and Erik ten Hag.
However, the 24-year-old winger was excluded from United’s lineup for the first two matches of the season against Fulham and Crystal Palace, sparking reports that he reiterated his wish to leave after being left out against Fulham on the opening day.
Sancho was one of 13 players to leave the club this summer, with notable exits including Scott McTominay and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who joined Napoli and West Ham United, respectively.
Ashworth pointed out that Sancho’s desire to depart was the primary reason behind his move. He also noted that the club feels confident in its remaining options for wide positions, with Amad Diallo, Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, and Antony still on the roster.
‘I think with any player, whether it’s Jadon, whether it’s Scott [McTominay] or whether it’s Aaron, if there’s a preference that they would like to move and go to a new club and it’s right for them and it’s right for us, then you have to explore it,’ Ashworth told Sky Sports.
‘We felt we had enough depth in that particular position to be able to cover it, we’ve got four really good wide players, Jadon was a fifth, and it just enabled us to make that decision.
‘If it was good for him and good for us it was something we were willing to consider.’
Ashworth dismissed claims a ‘truce’ between Sancho and ten Hag had been broken, saying no one has been ‘kicked out’ of the club this summer.
‘Nothing to do with that. It was a decision that we made – if it’s right for Jadon and it’s right for us to move on. He wanted to explore the opportunity at Chelsea, like Scott wanted to explore the opportunity at Napoli, like Aaron wanted to explore the opportunity at West Ham.
‘We’re not in a position where we’re kicking players out of the club.’
