Chelsea winger Jadon Sancho has admitted that he has a lot of people to prove wrong this season following a disappointing spell at Manchester United.
A young Sancho established himself as one of Europe's top talents during a four-year stay at Borussia Dortmund, earning a £73m move to Old Trafford while still only 21.
The winger struggled off the bat at United after suffering an ear infection during pre-season. His second year started well enough before "a combination of physical but also mental issues", as revealed by Erik ten Hag at the time, led to spell away from the team. A public spat with Dutch coach saw the player banished in 2023 and loaned back to Dortmund.
Sancho impressed in Germany en-route to the Champions League final, notably in a semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain, opening the door to the possibility of being reintegrated in Manchester. He appeared as a substitute in the Community Shield but was left out of subsequent Premier League squads due to what was reported as another ear infection. A loan to Chelsea with obligation to buy followed.
"From day one, they made me feel welcome at Chelsea," Sancho told South African broadcaster SuperSport following Sunday's 4-3 win over Tottenham Hotspur.
Jadon Sancho
Sancho scored against Southampton last week / Robin Jones/GettyImages
The 24-year-old scored Chelsea's first goal, making it successive appearances on the scoresheet.
"I know that I have a lot of people to prove wrong. I've been working very hard. Let me say thank you to the staff and the team for believing in me and giving me this opportunity."
Manager Enzo Maresca commented: "I said since the start that the reason why Jadon came here is because we think that Jadon is going to help us.
"Unfortunately, he had some small problems, so he was out for a while. Now he's back. The only thing he has to do is to continue in the same way. He cannot drop, otherwise he's not going to play."
Chelsea's obligation to make the deal permanent in the summer is thought to be as low as £25m.
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