Danny Murphy believes Chelsea should have kept Jadon Sancho instead of paying the £5million penalty to send him back to Manchester United.
The former England star had spent the season on loan at Stamford Bridge, where he scored five goals and contributed 10 assists in 42 games across all competitions.
While he ended his temporary spell in London by winning the UEFA Conference League, he started only 19 Premier League games and was never a nailed-on starter for Enzo Maresca.
However, the Blues were said to have wanted to retain his services, but a failure to agree on personal terms with the winger saw the club pay the Red Devils a £5m penalty to avoid their contractual obligation to sign him for £25m.
With Sancho set to return to Old Trafford with just one year left on the five-year deal he signed when joining the club in 2021 for £73m, he's likely to depart once again.
The 25-year-old's future is up in the air, but the ex-Liverpool star and talkSPORT pundit believes Chelsea would have been best served by thrashing out a deal to keep Sancho.
Jim White, Simon Jordan and Danny Murphy talking on talkSPORT
Danny Murphy believes Chelsea made a mistake in not keeping Jadon Sancho
In a discussion with Jim White and Simon Jordan on the airwaves, the former Crystal Palace owner slammed the winger for not living up to expectations. He also suggested Sancho cares more about his salary than reigniting his international career, having not represented the Three Lions since 2021.
"I'd like to think people evolve, young players especially, you have to give them time to make mistakes," Murphy said in response to Jordan. "But I actually think he's done alright for Chelsea this season when I've seen him.
"His technical ability is brilliant. [He] very rarely gives the ball away, now end product is a question mark. He's played in a lot of big games and that's because he's reliable with the ball and he knows his job."
Murphy admitted the £73m fee paid by United for Sancho was excessive but said he would be good value for the club at a third of that price.
Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford embracing
Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford are expected to leave Manchester United again this summer (Image: Getty Images)
"He's a bright footballer," he added. "He turned up at Manchester United, one of the biggest clubs in the world, when he was 20 and because they paid a huge amount for him which was inflated, he was expected to hit [the ground running]. I think Jadon Sancho for £25million is really good value."
After his departure was announced, Sancho took to social media to acknowledge everyone associated with Chelsea that made him feel welcome.
"Grateful for the experience," he wrote on Instagram. "Big love to everyone at Chelsea who made me feel at home — teammates, staff and the fans. Wishing the club all the best moving forward. Truly grateful. Thank you, Blues."
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Chelsea flag prior the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final Leg One match between Chelsea FC and Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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