Nearly four years on from his move to Manchester United, Jadon Sancho finds himself at another career crossroads. The winger began the season looking as though he was ready to get back on track, but a sharp decline has only led to more questions.
Sancho’s loan move to Stamford Bridge came as something of a surprise. Chelsea were hardly lacking options out wide, having added Pedro Neto and Joao Felix to a roster which already included Noni Madueke, Mykhailo Mudryk and Carney Chuwuemeka, while Cole Palmer and Christopher Nkunku could always be moved out wide from their preferred central roles.
To begin with, though, Enzo Maresca’s recruitment looked inspired. Three assists in three games saw Sancho immediately show his value to the team, while his first Chelsea goals in December helped secure back-to-back wins which lifted the Blues to second spot in the table.
That’s as good as it got for player and club. He has just one league assist (and no goals) since netting in a 4-3 victory over Tottenham on December 8, despite featuring in all 14 of Chelsea’s games, while Maresca’s men are now far from certain to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Sancho can’t claim to not have had the best possible chance. Felix and Chukwuemeka have both left on loan, with Mudryk suspended since December and Madueke injured since early February. His declining output has, for the first time, prompted questions over whether Chelsea might look for a way out of their obligation to make the move permanent.
Under the terms of the loan move, Chelsea will have to pay somewhere between £22m and £25m to sign Sancho permanently if they finish 14th or higher. However, they are understood to be able to pay United a smaller fee to get out of that obligation.
Former Chelsea star William Gallas thinks that’s exactly what the London side should do. “He’s a talented player, everybody knows this, but we don’t know why he can’t perform and can’t show what he can do,” Gallas told Stadium Astro.
“At Dortmund, he was magnificent. At Manchester United it didn’t work well for him. He came to Chelsea and at the beginning we saw that Sancho from Dortmund, but then he disappeared.
“I don’t know what the problem is, but at the moment he can’t stay at Chelsea because he has to do more. When you play in the Premier League you have to play every game at the highest level. It’s not easy, but you can’t just play well for a few games and then chill out.”
If Chelsea back out, Sancho will still have a year left on his United deal. The winger’s relationship with Erik ten Hag was what sparked his exit – first to Dortmund during the second half of the 2023-24 season, and then to Chelsea, but might he have a way back with the Dutchman now out of the picture?
Sancho had a very public falling-out with Ten Hag after being left out of a matchday squad early in the 2023-24 campaign. He has had no such issues with Maresca at Chelsea, though, impressing the Italian immediately with his attitude.
“Very happy, very happy for him. He was very good,” Maresca said in September. “I have a feeling that Jadon is a guy that needs love. This is what I thought when I spoke with him before he joined us.
“Also I know he has the desire to show the player he is, but for me, it is just to enjoy football. This is the reason why they play. Jadon helped us a lot but what he did tonight is exactly what we expected from him. As I said, I know Jadon very good because I watched him many, many times in the past and I know what he can give us.”
The issue appears to be output rather than attitude. Maresca may yet decide to overlook the former if he values Sancho as part of his team – and there are reasons to suggest he has faith in the 24-year-old – but might Ruben Amorim also have use for him.
Since taking over at Old Trafford, Amorim has been forced to experiment to figure out the best fits for his 3-4-3 approach. Sancho would likely be expected to contribute more in an attacking sense to occupy one of the dual 10 roles behind the striker, but might a wing-back spot offer a chance for him to save his United career?
There’s still a player in there, albeit one who was always going to take longer to refind his top form than it took for him to lose that spark. His United decline came in stages, but he looked to be enjoying himself more at Dortmund as they reached last season’s Champions League final.
Some parallels might be drawn with one of his contemporaries. Callum Hudson-Odoi was part of England’s Under-17 World Cup winning squad in 2017, with both scoring in a group stage victory over Chile, but saw his career hit a similar bump in the road.
After finding himself in and out of the side at Chelsea under Thomas Tuchel and enduring an underwhelming loan spell at Bayer Leverkusen, Hudson-Odoi joined Nottingham Forest in a cut-price deal in 2023. There, he has rediscovered his form and started enjoying his football again, potentially opening the door to a first England cap in more than five years.
The last of Sancho’s 23 caps came against Andorra in October 2021, but at just 24 years of age he still has time to revive his own international career. His next season will be an important one – whether thats at Chelsea, Manchester United or elsewhere – but his recent dry spell doesn’t have to be the beginning of the end.
Finding the right manager to unlock his best form could be the key. And it could yet be the case that a combination of Maresca plus time remains the best bet.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read ourPrivacy Notice.
Sky Sports deal
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £192 and includes 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.