Chelsea are reportedly considering paying a ‘significant’ penalty fee to rip up their agreement to sign Jadon Sancho permanently in the summer. Sancho, who has struggled for form over the past few months, is on loan from Premier League rivals Manchester United.
The 24-year-old enjoyed an excellent start to the season after joining the Blues. However, his performances have suffered a decline and he has scored only twice since the start of December. Enzo Maresca has maintained faith in the exiled England international, handing him starts in 16 of Chelsea’s 24 Premier League matches this season.
But Chelsea chiefs are reportedly not so keen and are said to be considering backing out of their agreement to sign Sancho permanently. When the club agreed the loan deal with Man Utd, a £25million obligation to purchase the former Borussia Dortmund winger, who earns around £250,000 a week, was included.
Chelsea just had to finish higher than 14th in the Premier League for the clause to be activated. Despite a tough start to 2025, the Blues are fourth and seem on course to qualify for European competition. It would take a wildly bad end to the season for them to finish 14th or lower.
While Chelsea reportedly plan to stick to the agreement, the i Paper reports that there has been some consideration into backing out of the deal. It is understood that they would need to pay a ‘significant’ penalty fee.
Sancho is one of a number of wingers on Chelsea’s books. He competes for a place with Pedro Neto and Noni Madueke. Mykhaylo Mudryk is currently serving a provisional suspension pending the outcome of a probe into a failed drugs test but the Ukrainian is another wide man. Cole Palmer has generally been used by Maresca as a No. 10 but can also play on the wing.
Chelsea are said to have agreed to sign another winger, with Geovany Quenda set to pick Stamford Bridge over United. The Sporting CP star is reported to have been swayed to make the decision as he will play as a winger in west London, rather than as a wing-back at United under his former manager Ruben Amorim.
For their part, United are understood to be planning for next season without Sancho. He failed to live up to the £72m the Red Devils paid to sign him from Dortmund in 2021. The London-born player also seems to have little desire to return to Old Trafford, having commented “freedom” on Marcus Rashford’s Instagram post following his colleague’s loan switch to Aston Villa in January.