In 2020, just before an important Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund, the former PSG star took the opportunity to commend a young rival. ..Continue Reading
At the time, 19-year-old Jadon Sancho had already made a strong impression, scoring 12 goals and providing 13 assists in only 19 league games, further establishing himself after departing England.
“Jadon is a player that I really like to watch play and he is a great player with plenty of quality,” Neymar explained.
“Borussia Dortmund is a team with plenty of quality players. They have a special player, who is new but who is very good whose name is Sancho.
“He is a good player. We all know how difficult it will be for us here at Dortmund. We are hoping to play a good game to get a good result back to Paris,” he added.
Speaking in 2018, Sancho conceded Neymar has always been his idol which perhaps explains why the Brazilian tracked him closely in the early stages of his career.
“My favourite player and role model is Neymar. He plays his opponents dizzy at the highest pace, and he is incredibly dangerous in front of goal,” Sancho told Bild.
“He’s just different. He takes the mickey out of people. He’s just being himself, he’s expressing himself and I love that.”
Although Sancho showed great potential, he has only earned 23 caps for England, with his last appearance coming in 2021 against Andorra, where he provided two assists.
His career began to decline when he returned to the Premier League, joining Manchester United in 2021.
Sancho’s spell at Old Trafford has been highly disappointing, producing just nine goals and six assists in 58 league matches.
Despite being under contract with United until the summer of 2026, he could still make a return, even though Chelsea currently holds an ‘obligation to buy’ as part of his season-long loan.
However, reports suggest Chelsea is considering paying a fee to exit the agreement, as Sancho has struggled to meet expectations at Stamford Bridge.
