Jadon Sancho joined Aston Villa on loan last summer but he is still struggling to show signs of the player Manchester United spent £73million on back in 2021.
It hasn't worked out for Sancho since his return to England
It hasn't worked out for Sancho since his return to England
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It's easy to forget that Jadon Sancho is still a Manchester United player. That will no longer be the case in a few months' time when the two parties go their separate ways in what has been a turbulent five years since his move from Borussia Dortmund.
If Sancho has filled comulm inches since his 2021 Old Trafford arrival, it has more often than not been for his off-field behaviour. From accusing Erik ten Hag of lying to digs at the club on social media, Sancho's £73million move to United will go down as one of the worst pieces of business in the club's history.
Sancho will finally cut ties with United for good this summer as his five-year contract comes to an end, but what next for a player who was once seen as one of the best wingers in Europe?
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After Chelsea reneged on their agreement to sign him permanently last year, the former Dortmund man moved to Aston Villa in the summer transfer window. There have been flashes of promise at Villa Park, but nowhere near enough to suggest a contract is already being drawn up. And if not Villa, where?
We spoke to Aston Villa reporter John Townley from our sister site Birmingham Live to get the lowdown on Sancho's spell at Villa and how likely a permanent move to Unai Emery's side is looking.
"Jadon Sancho was given a lifeline by Emery in the summer. Having watched Marcus Rashford rediscover his form and confidence under Emery from February to April, this presented a huge opportunity for Sancho to follow in the footsteps of his close friend and get his career back on track," he said.
"On our Claret & Blue podcast, the question I remember asking was: 'If it doesn’t work for Sancho under Emery, where does he turn next?' In the first half of the season, Villa fans saw very little from Sancho - but that wasn’t completely down to a lack of opportunity. He started four of the club’s first six Europa League matches but struggled to show signs of quality or give Emery a reason to play him regularly in the league.
"Interestingly, Sancho’s two best performances in the first half of the season came against Manchester City and Arsenal, both of which Villa won at home. There was plenty of negative press after the City game, when Emery subbed Sancho after bringing him on in the first half, but that didn’t reflect the positive signs fans had seen during the game.
"It wasn’t until Villa’s trip to Chelsea in matchweek 18, on Boxing Day, that Sancho truly demonstrated his talent. He helped turn the game around for Emery’s side, coming on with 30 minutes left alongside Ollie Watkins, who scored twice to secure a 2-1 win.
"Rewarded with a start at Arsenal a few days later, Sancho saw little of the ball. But at Fenerbahce, he thrived, exploiting the large spaces the Turkish side left behind. That night, he opened his account for Villa, heading in the winner - a crucial goal in the club’s pursuit of a top-two finish in the league phase.
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"Earlier this month, Emery sent a message to Sancho in the media, explaining that if the winger continues to develop in the final third of the season, Villa would be interested in signing him on a free transfer. That is the carrot for Sancho to earn a permanent deal."
So how likely is that to happen? And are Villa even in a position to be able to offer him a permanent contract, given his wages?
"He can play a role as a squad player, though questions remain over whether he can contribute at the level once expected. His output - just one goal and one assist across 25 appearances - is not enough. While Sancho has improved, there is still a long way to go before Villa would hand him a permanent deal.
"The player himself would also need to take a significant wage cut to stay at Villa, as it is well documented that the club’s wage bill is a high proportion of their revenue."
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