Jadon Sancho's future will be in the spotlight this summer as his loan at Aston Villa from Manchester United comes to an end
Jadon Sancho of Aston Villa
Jadon Sancho of Aston Villa(Image: Getty Images)
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As the dust begins to settle on a season that will live forever in the memory of Aston Villa fans, the club is now facing some big decisions.
A fourth place finish in the Premier League and that unforgettable night in Istanbul as Villa won the Europa League, ending their long wait for silverware, the relentless Unai Emery has already made it clear he wants to take the club to yet another level.
“Now we are going to increase our demands,” he said minutes after the final match of the season at Manchester City, adding: “Trying to get more trophies and be consistent to get the top seven positions for Europe or the Champions League.
“This is the challenge and how we want to be demanding - the club and the supporters.”
With Emery preparing to lead Villa back into the Champions League and targeting another assault at the top of the Premier League next season, there are question marks over the future of a few players at Villa Park, not least Jadon Sancho, who has spent the season on loan from Manchester United.
Here, our writers deliver their verdicts on whether Emery should try to sign Sancho this summer:
James Pallatt
I just can’t see it.
It was the same with Marcus Rashford. I never thought he would stay at Aston Villa beyond his loan from Manchester United.
Now, Jadon Sancho, Rashford’s old teammate at Old Trafford, will not be at Villa for the start of next season, in my opinion.
There is one glaring difference between the two situations for me, however.
While Villa would have liked to keep Rashford last summer - and missing out on the Champions League ended any hopes of him returning to Villa Park even before he sealed his dream move to Barcelona - I don’t believe the same will be true of Sancho.
Last week, in the wake of Villa’s Europa League triumph, Unai Emery said he was undecided whether to try to sign Sancho when he likely becomes a free agent this summer.
“Not yet,” he said, when asked if he’d decided on Sancho and fellow loanee Douglas Luiz.
“Now we are finishing the season. We will reflect and analyse each situation. We will decide it, but not yet.
“I am so, so proud of every player and how they have responded. Now is the moment after Sunday to take decisions how we will continue building and getting our development strongly.
"We are ambitious and everything we did is important to how we can analyse how to get better next year. I only want to improve and get better next year. The decisions we take will be in this direction.”
I imagine behind closed doors, decisions have been made and with Sancho the numbers just do not stack up.
Villa may have enjoyed a memorable season, finishing fourth in the Premier League and winning the Europa League, but Sancho scored once in 39 matches. Once. And he registered two assists in the Premier League.
There’s an argument that he could improve in a second season at Villa and, of course, he may not cost a penny, but it’s not strong enough, for me, when his wages will likely be very high and with Villa back in the Champions League next season and wanting to go to another level in the Premier League.
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Leigh Curtis
There is not really a compelling argument for Villa to keep Sancho even if it is on a free transfer.
Spells at Chelsea and now Villa have not yielded much reward and for the money he will no doubt command in terms of his wages, what benefit is there to Emery if he isn't going to play?
He hasn't featured much this season and while there have been flashes of his ability, it has not been consistent enough to sway Emery's mind when it comes to the set up of the team.
The next move for Sancho is an important one because he cannot afford to go anywhere and be a bit-part player.
It has to be a deal that gives him the realistic proposition of playing regularly and Villa just won't give him that chance.
Emery's not daft, he will have seen more of Sancho than any of us and I just don't see it being a viable transfer for Villa or any of the big six in the Premier League.
He's in danger of wasting his career and with Villa having the Champions League on their agenda when squad demands are at their peak, you need reliability.
Sancho just hasn't been able to do that in B6 and so it's a move that Villa should swerve.
Steve Wollaston
For me, Jadon Sancho is a useful player to have in and around the Aston Villa squad.
The truth is though that he hasn't shown the consistency and quality that is needed to really scream 'sign me'.
He is more than likely set to find that he just didn't do enough for the Villa powers that be to consider him a cost-effective signing, and it is a money game, that should not be overlooked.
The fact that Unai Emery has used him as a squad man this season shows that he has a skillset that the manager likes.
Emery doesn't concern himself with the outside perception of what people think of his players, and I don't think that will come into his thinking if he really wants to keep the player.
When Sancho signed, Emery stated: "He's still hungry to show his capacity to play with his skills, his qualities, and hopefully we can exploit here, again, his best... This is my objective, to get him back to his best – and if he does that then he'll come back to the national team."
I think it's fair to say this hasn't been achieved; this isn't a player back to his best, or one the club thinks is worth the colossal wages he commands.
As with Marcus Rashford, he did a job, he contributed, and there will likely be a similar high-profile loan agreement for another player next season as Villa battle with balancing the financial demands.
I can't see any way Sancho ends up at Villa Park next season, unless he is playing for the opposition.
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