Manchester United and Sir Jim Ratcliffe are now ready to take drastic action to move Jadon Sancho on from the club in 2026.
Sancho struggling on loan at Aston Villa
The Red Devils winger is under contract until the end of the season, although there is an option to extend that by a further 12 months to protect his value after joining for £70m.
Sancho has not played in the Premier League for Man Utd since 2023 and has had loan spells at Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea and now Aston Villa, where he is for the 2025/26 season.
Jadon Sancho for Aston Villa
However, the 25-year-old has struggled to make an impact at Villa Park, playing just 69 minutes of top flight football in the current campaign.
Sancho did come on for Villa in the first half in the recent 1-0 win against Man City, although he was then substituted in the closing stages by Unai Emery, who said it was “embarrassing” for the attacker.
“I told him as well, he can feel it, it's embarrassing.
"He played 45 minutes, I am so happy because his impact was good, his electricity, his skill, but then to play more than now he's not ready fit to play 90 minutes, 45 minutes is not easy enough for him and I am happy and of course, progressively he's coming better and better.”
Yet to start for Villa in the Premier League, Man Utd will soon have a decision to make, extend Sancho’s contract until 2027 or allow him to leave for free.
Man Utd ready to let Sancho leave for £0
As reported by talkSPORT, Man Utd and Ratcliffe are resigned to losing Sancho for free in 2026 instead of triggering the clause in his contract to protect his transfer value.
Jadon-Sancho-Man-United-Premier-League
The Red Devils are willing to cut their losses on Sancho one year ahead of schedule, saving £200,000-a-week in wages which works out at more than £10m for the 2026/27 season.
Of course, that means United won’t receive a transfer fee next year for the “crazy talent”, bringing to an end what has been a woeful Old Trafford stint.
Sancho has scored 12 goals in 83 appearances for Man Utd, registering six assists and playing just over 5,000 minutes in a Red Devils shirt.
Earlier in 2025, Ratcliffe called Sancho a “thing from the past” alongside the likes of Antony, Andre Onana and Rasmus Hojlund, players who INEOS were still “buying” after their transfers under the Glazers.
“If you look at the players we are buying this summer, that we didn’t buy, we’re buying Antony, we’re buying Casemiro, we’re buying Onana, we’re buying Hojlund, we’re buying Sancho. These are all things from the past, whether we like it or not, we’ve inherited those things and have to sort that out.
“For Sancho, who now plays for Chelsea and we pay half his wages, we’re paying £17m to buy him in the summer. It takes time for us to move away from the past into a new place in the future.”
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