Jadon Sancho joined Chelsea in August. (Image: 2025 AMA Sports Photo Agency)
Chelsea gained custody of Jadon Sancho in August and could give him back to Manchester United in June. The winger has gone from being regarded as one of the world's finest young talents to being the butt of jokes in the space of just a few years, and his downfall has been sad to follow.
United signed Sancho from Borussia Dortmund for £72.8million in the summer of 2021 and former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer suggested he could become an elite player at Old Trafford.
However, the player who dazzled for Dortmund never arrived in Manchester, and there were concerns about his application in training and his reported late nights playing video games.
Sancho contributed 12 goals and six assists in 83 appearances for United before his dramatic fallout with Erik ten Hag. He missed four months of competitive football due to that disagreement and re-signed for Dortmund on loan for the second half of last season in an attempt to rediscover form.
"Happiness, enjoyment, fun and energy," Sancho said during his unveiling when asked for the words to describe his first Dortmund stint. Sancho's return to the Signal Iduna Park was plastered all over Dortmund's social media but his performances, with the exception of a strong display against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, continued to be underwhelming.
There's a reason why Dortmund didn't look to sign Sancho on a permanent deal last summer. Their CEO praised him in public but his actions spoke louder when he declined to revisit a deal.
Finally, Chelsea stepped forward to take a chance on Sancho and they agreed a deal at the eleventh hour of the window, which saw him move to London on a season-long loan.
The loan included an obligation to buy and outlined Chelsea would pay a minimum of £20 million, a fee which could increase to £25m depending on Sancho's performances this season.
Sancho had the world at his feet when he arrived at United.
Sancho made a decent start at Stamford Bridge and Chelsea fans laughed at United for their 'bargain' signing. But just ask those same supporters, who is laughing now?
The 24-year-old's form has regressed and there has been a suggestion Chelsea might take the extraordinary decision of breaking their obligation agreement to sign him permanently.
Sources have confirmed Chelsea would have to pay 'a significant fee' if they wish to break their agreement, which is believed to be £5m. It is practically unheard of for a club to break such an agreement and it would be embarrassing for Sancho to be sent back to Manchester.
Sancho would return with the tail between his legs and it would be a huge dent to his confidence. Some fans will laugh at his situation and argue he is responsible for his decline, which is true, but there's something sad about seeing a once exciting talent suffer a major fall from grace.
United were linked to Sancho for two years before they got the deal done. His record at Dortmund was outstanding and the £72.8m fee his signature commanded felt like it could actually be value.
Nobody should take pleasure from another's struggles and Sancho's career trajectory has been taken a nosedive, which has been a shame. He was a joy to watch as a teenager, creating and scoring goals for fun, but he's not lived up to his potential and his next 18 months will be fascinating.
It still feels more likely that Chelsea will fulfil their obligation to sign Sancho permanently, but even if they do, he's not a consistent starter and could be on the move somewhere else sooner rather than later.
If Sancho is sent back to Manchester, his next move is guaranteed to be at a smaller club than United and Chelsea, and perhaps a return to the continent would dim the spotlight on him.
Sancho has the talent to become a star. The evidence suggests he won't become the player everyone hoped he would, and it's not nice to see someone fail to reach their potential.