Manchester United thought they had seen the back of Jadon Sancho last summer when they loaned him to Chelsea after including a clause in the deal that obligated the Blues to sign the winger permanently this summer. But Chelsea could decide to pay a financial penalty to get out of the deal.
Sancho flopped at Old Trafford after joining the Red Devils from Borussia Dortmund in 2021 and was sent to Chelsea after Enzo Maresca had been appointed Blues boss. The England international has shown glimpses of his talents in the capital but has contributed just two goals and four assists in 22 Premier League matches. And he may be deemed to be surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge at the end of the campaign.
According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea agreed to buy Sancho for a fee of between £22million and £25m at the end of the season as long as they finished 14th or higher in the Premier League.
But there is the possibility that Chelsea could pull out of the deal and pay a ‘significant penalty’ to send the 24-year-old back to Manchester.
Sancho is yet to agree terms on a permanent deal at Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea eyeing up a number of other wingers such as the likes of Real Betis star Jesus Rodriguez.
Sancho was singled out by Manchester United minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe on Monday as the INEOS boss admitted the Red Devils had to pay off another chunk of Sancho’s £73m transfer fee this summer following his move from Dortmund.
“For Sancho, who now plays for Chelsea and we pay half his wages, we're paying £17m to buy him in the summer,” Ratcliffe told the BBC.
United manager Ruben Amorim, meanwhile, refused to get dragged into a discussion about Sancho’s future last month as he exclaimed in a press conference: “I'm focused on my players and my problems. Sancho is not my problem.”
Sancho played the full 90 minutes for Chelsea on Sunday as the Blues defeated Leicester 1-0 in the Premier League.
He struggled to have an impact in the final third, however, as he failed to find the back of the net for the 13th top-flight match in a row.
But after the match he insisted: “I'm really delighted that I'm here, playing football at Chelsea. Maresca makes us feel at home. It's not easy for players to say that. We've grown into one big family.”