Jadon Sancho has left Manchester United on loan for the third time in his career, joining Aston Villa on deadline day, and the Red Devils will be hoping he can rediscover his best form
17:50, 06 Sep 2025
Pep Guardiola warned Manchester United about Jadon Sancho but they didn't listen to the Manchester City boss
Pep Guardiola warned Manchester United about Jadon Sancho but they didn't listen to the Manchester City boss(Image: GETTY )
Pep Guardiola's warning about Jadon Sancho's mindset was ignored when Manchester United secured the mega flop's services in 2021.
The underwhelming winger came through the Manchester City youth ranks in 2017 under the Spaniard's stewardship, but the 25-year-old never managed to make a senior outing for the Citizens before being sold to Borussia Dortmund in a deal worth around £8million. When questioned in 2019 about why Sancho was offloaded rather than given opportunities by Guardiola, the legendary manager said: "I don't know.
"He didn't want to take this challenge [to fight his way into the first team], this opportunity to discover if he was able to. He decided to go there. So, it's perfect. It's going well and congratulations on what he is doing. He is doing an incredible performance. He did it incredibly well this season. What would have happened this season [at City]? I don't know. Again, with the players, it depends on them and what they do on the pitch."
While Guardiola was delighted to witness Sancho flourishing in the Bundesliga, his remarks regarding the winger's willingness to battle for his spot may have sparked worries amongst bosses. Sancho's tally of 50 goals and 64 assists across 137 outings for Die Schwarzgelben between 2017 and 2021 proved tempting enough for United to land his signature in a £73m move following a protracted chase, reports the Manchester Evening News.
However, his time with the Red Devils in the years that followed has been disastrous. During his opening two campaigns at Old Trafford, Sancho managed just nine Premier League strikes in 55 outings, before heading back to Dortmund after clashing with Erik ten Hag over his training displays.
Jadon Sancho playing for Manchester United
Jadon Sancho last played for Manchester United in the 2024 Community Shield(Image: Neal Simpson/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
Following United's 3-1 loss to Arsenal in September 2023 – a fixture Sancho wasn't part of the travelling party for – Ten Hag explained: "Jadon, on his performances in training we did not select him. You have to reach a level every day at Manchester United and we can make choices in the front line. So for this game he was not selected."
Sancho was quick to hit back at his boss's comments, claiming he was being used as a "scapegoat." He posted on social media: "Please don't believe everything you read. I will not allow people saying things that is completely untrue, I have conducted myself in training very well this week. I believe there are other reasons for this matter which I won't go into, I've been a scapegoat for a long time, which isn't fair!".
"All I want to do is play football with a smile on my face and contribute to the team. I respect all decisions that are made by the coaching staff, I play with fantastic players and grateful to do so, which I know every week is a challenge. I will continue to fight for this badge no matter what!"
Jadon Sancho
Jadon Sancho has had two spells with Borussia Dortmund(Image: Getty Images)
Following a brief stint back at Dortmund - during which United picked up the tab for the majority of his £300,000-per-week wages - Sancho made his return to United in the summer of 2024, where he managed to patch things up with Ten Hag.
However, his second spell at Old Trafford was fleeting, as he soon moved to Chelsea on a season-long loan with a £25m obligation to buy based on performances.
Despite enjoying a somewhat successful period with Chelsea - when the Blues would only pay half of his wages and United the rest - the Stamford Bridge board chose not to exercise their mandatory purchase option, instead opting to pay a £5m penalty to send Sancho back to the north west under new manager Ruben Amorim.
Yet again, his tenure at Old Trafford was abruptly ended when the Portuguese coach deemed him surplus to requirements. As a result, Sancho secured a last-minute transfer to Aston Villa on loan on Monday, where he once again aims to resurrect his Premier League career, this time under Unai Emery.
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It is understood that Villa will pay a loan fee and 80 per cent of the player's wages during his time at Villa Park. With Sancho's contract due to expire next summer, there is no obligation to buy attached to the deal.
However, the United board do have the option to extend his contract by a year to prevent him from departing the club on a free transfer.