Jadon Sancho’s future at Chelsea is far from certain, despite his brilliant display in the UEFA Conference League final. Former Blues striker Tore Andre Flo has been speaking on the subject, praising Sancho’s quality but also raising doubts about his reliability.
The Blues were expected to acquire Sancho for £25 million after his loan spell. The buy-option was dependent on where they were in the league, but the club also have the option to pay a balance of £5 million and return him to Manchester United. Negotiations are ongoing at the Bridge, and Sancho’s enormous wages are the issue at hand.
Speaking about Sancho, Flo admitted:
“With Sancho, sometimes I’ve been really, really impressed and other times I’ve been very frustrated. I think that’s the general opinion of him. Sometimes he shows he’s the guy that can get past any defender and score beautiful goals.”
Sancho ended the season well, with a curving shot into the top corner during the Conference League final against Real Betis. Flo credited it, but questioned the winger’s consistency in providing such displays:
“But the issue is he doesn’t do it often enough. If he can do it more often, then he’s more than good enough. Chelsea have many good wingers so they can alternate. It’s a nice problem to have because you don’t have to rely on him. To be a definite signing, it’s difficult to say.”
Sancho’s Wage Requirements Challenge Chelsea’s Transfer Strategy
Jadon Sancho’s likely long-term move to Chelsea is wrapped in conversations around money, mainly due to his sizeable wage demands. Having earned about £300,000 per week at Manchester United, Sancho’s package is much bigger than Chelsea’s wage structure. Meanwhile, the Blues prefer incentive-based pay instead of a huge base pay.
On loan at the Bridge, Sancho lowered his astronomical wages just to make the move happen. But for the transfer to be permanent, there must be additional wage cuts. The club are reportedly not interested in finalizing the £25 million switch unless Sancho signs up to meet these new demands.
The Blues also have the option of canceling the permanent transfer for a payment of £5 million to Manchester United. As much as Sancho would like to remain at Stamford Bridge, this hinges on his willingness to sign within Chelsea’s salary cap.