As Jadon Sancho once again finds himself in the wilderness, Mirror Football takes a look at the Manchester United outcast's current situation
Jadon Sancho of Manchester United reacts after missing penalty during the 2024 FA Community Shield shoot out between Manchester United and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on August 10, 2024 in London, England
Jadon Sancho has not played for Manchester United since missing a penalty in the Community Shield in August 2024
(Image: Photo by Neal Simpson/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
Jadon Sancho's goal in the Europa Conference League final was not enough to convince Chelsea he was worth £25million plus his not inconsiderable salary. Despite ending his time at Stamford Bridge with a European trophy, the 25-year-old was sent back to Manchester United by Enzo Maresca's side.
When the Blues loaned Sancho from the Red Devils last summer, they did so on the premise that they would pay £25m to sign him permanently at the end of the campaign. When the deal was made, the only way Chelsea could renege on that deal was if they finished lower than 14th, or pay a £5m penalty clause to get out of the deal.
After finishing fourth and winning the Conference League, Chelsea opted to pay the £5m to send Sancho back from whence he came. Now the Blues have been linked with other wide midfielders such as Borussia Dortmund's Jamie Gittens, Nico Williams of Athletic Bilbao and, ironically, Sancho's United team-mate Alejandro Garnacho, who has seemingly been banished by Ruben Amorim in the same way as Sancho was by Erik ten Hag.
After the Conference League triumph, Maresca appeared to state that he wanted the winger to remain at Stamford Bridge. He said: "We are going to sit with the club and decide what happens for next year.
"He's come here and got his career back on track. I still think there is more to come from him; I really do."
Chelsea backed out of the deal, as Sancho would not compromise on the £300,000 per-week salary he earns at United. Such a wage would see Sancho earn more than £250k-a-week Chelsea captain Reece James (£250,000 per-week) and more than twice as much as midfield talisman Cole Palmer, who is understood to be on around £130,000 per-week.
When Sancho's exit was confirmed, the former England international took to social media and wrote: "Grateful for the experience. 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."
Chelsea's Jadon Sancho scores his side's third goal during the Europa Conference League final soccer match between Real Betis and Chelsea in Wroclaw, Poland, Wednesday, May 28, 2025
Sancho's goal was not enough to seal himself a place at Chelsea
As long as Sancho insists on his £300,000 per-week salary, potential suitors will likely be hard to come by. United's £62.5m capture of Matheus Cunha and the potential £55m arrival of Bryan Mbeumo pushes Sancho even further down the pecking order.
Mirror Football recently reported that Saudi Arabian Pro League sides Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr and Al-Ittihad have emerged as options and are more than capable of paying him the wages he demands. Sancho may also be willing to move to the Middle East, having seen Ivan Toney be called up to the England squad by Thomas Tuchel, despite playing for Al-Ahli.
In May, Bundesliga giants Bayer Leverkusen were reportedly willing to make an offer to United for Sancho. Unfortunately for the ex-Borussia Dortmund ace, Ten Hag's arrival will surely all but block any route to the BayArena.
Jadon Sancho of Chelsea arrives at the stadium prior to the UEFA Conference League Final 2025 between Real Betis Balompie and Chelsea FC at Stadion Wroclaw on May 28, 2025 in Wroclaw, Poland
Sancho could become the latest big player to move to Saudi Arabia(Image: Photo by Aitor Alcalde - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
Sancho's contract at Old Trafford expires June 30 2026. This summer represents United's best opportunity to cash in on his services, even though there is next to no chance that they will recoup the £73m they paid to Dortmund in the summer of 2021.
If a permanent move maintaining his salary is not possible this year, Sancho's next best option could be another loan spell, having already spent six months at Dortmund and a year at Stamford Bridge.
However, with United looking to bolster their forward line, they will surely prefer a permanent transfer which guarantees them a fee and gets rid of Sancho from their wage-bill. It's another difficult situation for the ex-Manchester City academy star, who was tipped for great things when he first started catching the eye at Dortmund as a teenager, but whose career arguably hasn't reached the heights that many thought it would.
Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.