Former Chelsea defender William Gallas has stressed that loanee winger Jadon Sancho can't stay at Stamford Bridge beyond this season if he doesn't raise his standards in the coming months. The Blues have an obligation to buy Sancho for a fee between £22million and £25m this summer, depending on how high they finish in the Premier League, as long as it's above 15th.
However, the Manchester United flop has failed to impress under Enzo Maresca, managing just two goals and three assists in 25 games since making an early impact. Sancho provided assists in each of his first three games, selling Chelsea fans a dream that they had acquired the player United thought they signed from Borussia Dortmund for £73m in 2021. But he has slumped to the standards that saw his Old Trafford career dwindle to an underwhelming end, sparking suggestions that Chelsea could pay a significant fee to breach their loan agreement.
Sancho's latest blank came in Sunday's 1-0 defeat against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, failing to have a say in the Premier League clash before being hauled off on 76 minutes.
Gallas, who played for Chelsea from 2001 to 2006, wants to see the club send him packing back to Manchester if he doesn't improve.
"Did you see him dribble past his left-back today? No. He did nothing," the Frenchman vented on Stadium Astro.
"He didn't challenge his left-back opponent. He always gets the ball, does some skills, and then passes the ball back. We want to see more, especially when you are the winger.
He added: "That player has talent. He's a talented player, everybody knows this, but we don't know why he can't perform and can't show what he can do.
"At Dortmund, he was magnificent. At Manchester United, it didn't work well for him. He came to Chelsea, and at the beginning, we saw that Sancho from Dortmund, but then he disappeared.
"I don't know what the problem is, but at the moment, he can't stay at Chelsea because he has to do more.
"When you play in the Premier League, you have to play every game at the highest level. It's not easy, but you can't just play well for a few games and then chill out."
According to GIVEMESPORT, United consider Sancho's situation a win-win, agreeing on benefits regardless of whether Chelsea terminate their agreement or not.
The Red Devils are reportedly confident that if their rivals don't fulfil their obligation, the cash they would have to send would still make the deal a fruitful one.
And then Ruben Amorim would likely look to offload the 24-year-old anyway, given his dedication to only wanting players 100 per cent committed to his vision.
It's claimed that Chelsea are still expected to sign Sancho permanently, though. Whether that means he remains in West London next season is another question altogether.