Man Utd winger Jadon Sancho will try to get back to his best after joining Aston Villa on loan on deadline day.
Pundit Jamie Carragher discussed Jadon Sancho.(Image: Sky Bet)
Unfortunately, Jadon Sancho will be remembered as a huge Manchester United flop.
However, it would be unfair to pretend Sancho wasn't once a supremely exciting prospect, something Jamie Carragher was guilty of during a debate about United's worst-ever signings.
"It’s funny with Sancho because he got the reputation with Borussia Dortmund,” said Carragher.
“Me and Gary [Neville] were on Sky Sports a few years ago and we hadn’t seen much of him, but he was doing really well at Dortmund in the Champions League. We got asked to come up with an England squad, and we didn’t put him in the squad and got some stick on social media.
“When you say he’s the worst Manchester United signing because of his ability… I’m not sure there’s much ability there. I think he’s okay, but I don’t understand what his thing is.
"I’ve been critical of Marcus Rashford, but if I picture him playing well, then I can picture his pace and his shooting. I don’t know what Sancho’s thing is. Every player has something, but I can’t think in my head about what he [Sancho] does. I’ve never seen it in my life. I haven’t.”
Carragher was right and wrong with his Sancho assessment. He is entitled to his opinion and can refer to leaving him out of his hypothetical England squad as proof that he never rated him, but the numbers, data and eye test all confirmed Sancho had significant potential during his time at Dortmund.
United can be criticised in 2025 for splashing £72.9million on Sancho, but that transfer fee felt like value at the time, especially with Manchester City signing Jack Grealish for £100m in the same summer.
By his own admission, Carragher made his initial assessment of Sancho by watching small clips, and you can't form a true opinion of a player without watching them closely for a run of games.
Anyone who watched Sancho properly in Germany saw a teenager brimming with talent, a fascinating English player who bravely decided to leave City to pursue a career in Europe.
In the three seasons before Sancho signed for United, Raheem Sterling (110) was the only English player to record more goal involvements (goals and assists) than Sancho's 109). Harry Kane (106) and Marcus Rashford (94) came next.
Of course, Sancho was producing those numbers in the Bundesliga, but he was a threat in the Champions League and seemed destined for the top.
It's a massive shame that Sancho's career hasn't unfolded like everyone hoped it would. The 25-year-old has been majorly disappointing, but that doesn't undo his previous achievements.
It is fair to criticise Sancho for the last few years. He faced the embarrassment of Chelsea breaking their obligation to sign him this summer, which cost the London club a £5m penalty charge, and he was fortunate that Aston Villa were in panic mode in the final days of the transfer window.
Carragher argued he doesn't know Sancho's strengths. That is a fair comment based on his performances in the Premier League and United fans wondered the same when they took their seat at Old Trafford.
That wasn't the case when Dortmund fans watched Sancho at Signal Iduna Park. He possessed flair, was exceptionally creative in tight spaces around the box and intelligently combined with teammates.
With the benefit of hindsight, perhaps Sancho's skillset wasn't going to be a match for the Premier League, and he might still be on an upward trajectory if he'd continued plying his trade in Europe.
Sancho's career has been on a downward spiral. He has regressed on the pitch and there have been concerns about his application at times. Sancho has been a shadow of his former self for a while.
Proper recognition of the first part of Sancho's career is why his decline is so sad.
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Carragher was speaking during a fan debate on Sky Bet's The Overlap.