Jadon Sancho expressed his dissatisfaction with Manchester United’s decision to sign him, stating that the club had made a mistake in their player acquisition.
This sentiment arose during a disagreement regarding his role within the team.
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Sancho’s transfer from Borussia Dortmund to United for £73 million in July 2021 was followed by a tumultuous first season at Old Trafford.
The team’s performance was underwhelming, culminating in a sixth-place finish in the Premier League, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was dismissed just four months after Sancho’s arrival. The interim manager, Ralf Rangnick, led the team to this disappointing result.
Since September, Sancho has been sidelined from United’s starting lineup after openly criticizing Erik ten Hag for his perceived lack of effort during a training session prior to a loss against Arsenal.
Sancho has not apologized to Ten Hag and was consequently loaned back to Borussia Dortmund in January. United is now considering selling the winger this summer, with a target transfer fee of £40 million.
The friction between Sancho and Ten Hag had been escalating even before their recent public fallout.
At the beginning of Ten Hag’s tenure, Sancho was positioned on the right wing, which led to defeats against Brighton and Brentford.
Post-Brentford loss, Sancho reportedly told Ten Hag that he felt United had ‘bought the wrong player’ because he preferred playing on the left wing.
This preference influenced Ten Hag’s decision to pursue Antony from Ajax for £86 million. Additionally, earlier in the season, Ten Hag reprimanded Sancho for not acknowledging his assistant Mitchell van der Gaag during a training session.
The incident following United’s defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium saw Sancho leave the pitch after van der Gaag criticized him for not pressing an opponent during a practice match.
Borussia Dortmund has expressed interest in retaining Sancho permanently but must negotiate a transfer fee with United since there was no option to buy included in their loan agreement.
This season’s Champions League finalists are also keen on keeping Ian Maatsen after his loan from Chelsea but are hesitant to activate his £35 million release clause.
