Jadon Sancho, once the emerging star of English football, has seen his star fade in recent years. The 24-year-old, who was a runner-up for the 2019 Golden Boy award, looked every bit as destined for greatness as his former Borussia Dortmund team-mates Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham.
But since his ill-fated move to Manchester United in 2021 – a transfer that was expected to catapult his career – Sancho has underwhelmed. His stint at Chelsea has done little to suggest he can shake his drab form, and now, his talent is being overshadowed by accusations of toxicity and unprofessionalism.
Here, Express Football takes a closer look at Sancho’s downward spiral. The winger’s reputation is increasingly marred by controversy, and with his career faltering, it remains to be seen whether he can turn things around.
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Issues at Man Utd
Sancho’s career at Old Trafford got off to a rocky start due to poor form, internal chaos, and personal woes. Under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s management, the team dropped from a second place finish in 2020/21 to seventh place by the time he was given his marching orders, just a few months into Sancho’s time at the club.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s deadline day arrival didn’t help matters either, with the Portugal superstar claiming the No. 9 spot for his own and forcing the likes of Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood to complete with Sancho for a spot on the wings. Things looked up with Erik ten Hag’s appointment in 2022, not least as it led to Ronaldo’s exit.
However, Sancho’s was struck by a bout of depression, and took a month off to recover. Shortly after returning, his relationship with Ten Hag soured, and the feud between the pair ultimately pushed Sancho out of the club.
Ten Hag spat
Following Sancho’s omission from the United squad that suffered a 3-1 loss to Arsenal in September 2023, Ten Hag cited the player’s subpar training performance as the reason. Sancho replied by publicly accusing his manager of lying, claiming he was being used as a “scapegoat”.
He vented on social media: “I will not allow people saying things that is completely untrue. I have conducted myself very well in training this week… I’ve been a scapegoat for a long time which isn’t fair!”
As a result, Sancho was swiftly banished from the first team and reportedly even ejected from the squad’s WhatsApp group. He was also relegated to training with the academy players and denied access to the first-team canteen facilities.
While some senior squad members sympathised with Sancho, none believed his accusation of the manager lying was wise or warranted. Ten Hag insisted on an apology, with insiders suggesting that Sancho could have been welcomed back into the squad had he offered one.
However, no apology was forthcoming, and their relationship soured irreparably. A mid-season loan return to Dortmund was hastily arranged, where Sancho’s form saw a marked improvement.
Sancho’s performances were key to the club’s journey to the Champions League final that season, although Dortmund were ultimately defeated by Real Madrid. Meanwhile, United’s Premier League campaign concluded disastrously, with a woeful eighth-place finish – their worst in the competition’s history.
Yet, Ten Hag’s job was saved following an unexpected FA Cup final triumph over Manchester City, which left Sancho in a predicament. With any chance of reconciliation with Ten Hag ruled out, another loan move was agreed, this time to Chelsea. The deal includes an obligation to buy clause, which will be triggered if the Blues finish higher than 15th in the Premier League this season.
Rashford outrage
Since his move to Chelsea, Sancho has made more headlines for his social media activity than his on-pitch performances. The England international’s start at Stamford Bridge has been underwhelming, with only two goals in 21 appearances.
His much-hyped ‘escape’ from United hasn’t triggered the resurgence many had anticipated. However, it appears that Sancho thinks it might work for Rashford, who, after a disagreement with Red Devils head coach Ruben Amorim, has followed his lead and left on loan for Aston Villa.
Responding to Rashford’s Instagram post about his Villa debut, Sancho sparked a significant backlash by commenting: “Freedom.” Some accused the Chelsea player of petulance and unprofessionalism, while numerous United fans called for their club – which still contributes to Sancho’s salary – to fine him.
Former United goalkeeper Ben Foster, speaking on his podcast Fozcast, said Sancho’s comment “reeks of toxicity”, arguing that it merely proves the club was correct to let him go. “What is he doing? That’s ridiculous because he is still actually employed by Manchester United, so is Marcus Rashford,” Foster raged.
“It just reeks of toxicity at United. It reeks of an unhappy place to be, that everybody’s buzzing for someone to get out [of the club].”
Speaking on talkSPORT, pundit Simon Jordan had a stark outlook on the situation, saying: “Sancho’s career has gone backwards… this is the sort of atypical response from people that always like to align other people with the blame or their current failings. I think it’s a sad indication of where United have gotten to to think that people can speak about the club in this way.”
Jordan added: “I think the underlying message is that you’re out of the awful place that Man United has become. A place that has been created by the culture of players there and I would suggest that players like Jadon Sancho who only like it when they’re told all the good things.
“They can’t really deal with any home truths or they can’t have any consequences for their actions because if they do, they don’t like it.”
Additionally, The Daily Mail reports that Rashford didn’t take well to Sancho’s comment and is frustrated with being implicated in the ongoing spat with the club.