What comes next for Jadon Sancho a return to Manchester United or staying at Dortmund?
Going back to Man Utd
The key to Sancho’s reintegration into the current United lineup is his bond with Ten Hag. Citing the winger’s subpar training level, the Dutchman left him out of the matchday squad when they faced Arsenal in September.
Sancho responded by refuting these allegations on social media, thereby branding Ten Hag as a liar. Before it was finally deleted, this post was pinned to the top of his X/Twitter profile for a few days. Sancho was kicked off the first team after he refused to apologize to Ten Hag.
By the time his loan expires, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS will have finished their strategic analysis of United and will formally take over as the club’s athletic directors. A decision regarding Ten Hag’s future will be made as part of this. That’s not to imply he will probably be fired, but if, in a best-case scenario, United failed to meet its objectives this season and Sancho succeeded, he might be allowed to rejoin the team under a different manager without having to apologize.
Sancho’s complaint is with the manager, not the team, so it’s unlikely that the winger would have any trouble determining whether to stay if he ended himself back at Old Trafford and Ten Hag wasn’t there.
Remaining at Borussia Dortmund
Dortmund entered into this agreement with the intention of it being more than just a loan, but they were unable to come to an agreement on the kind of option or buyout requirement that would have relieved United of control.
In September, when United contacted Saudi Pro League team Al Ettifaq regarding a loan for Sancho, they demanded that any agreement include a mandatory £50 million buyout clause. However, the absence of such a clause in the Dortmund agreement shouldn’t be interpreted as a negotiation setback so much as a shift in strategy.
United believed that it was preferable to send Sancho out to find playing time, have another team pay his salary, recover a cost, and give him some space from Ten Hag. In addition to a potential €4 million (£3.4 million) in add-ons, Dortmund is paying a set €3.5 million (£3 million) fee. Over that time, the amount might surpass Sancho’s earnings, meaning United could break even or even turn a profit.
At this point, United’s most likely course of action if Sancho continues to play well for the remainder of the season is to sell him because they could require the proceeds from the sale in order to have more options in the summer transfer window. This loan’s objectives are to reduce his pay, raise his worth, and could transfer him permanently to Dortmund or another team for a sum estimated to be about €58 million (£50 million).
Prior to the Bundesliga winter break, Dortmund’s chances of finishing in the top four appeared remote, but as of right now, they are just three points behind RB Leipzig in fourth position and four behind Stuttgart in third. Sancho is also qualified to participate in Dortmund’s Champions League knockout run. In the round of sixteen, BVB will play Eredivisie leaders PSV Eindhoven.