Jadon Sancho is leaving Manchester United for a while after a falling out with his manager.
Borussia Dortmund made the official announcement on the club’s website on Monday (Nov. 11), saying, “The club has loaned Sancho to the club until the end of the season.”
Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kell said: “Sancho is an absolute difference maker. We are looking forward to seeing him back in black and yellow. He knows this city, our home ground Zignale Iduna Park, our fans and our club. Even though he hasn’t played in the last few months, I’m sure he will quickly settle in with us and be in top form to help us achieve our goals.”
Returning to his hometown team, Sancho said: “It feels like coming home. I know the club inside and out, and I’ve always been very close to the fans here. I’ve never lost contact with the people here. I can’t wait to see my teammates again, take the pitch and play with a smile on my face and help the team qualify for UEFA Champions League spending money.”
Dortmund are pinning their hopes on Sancho. They have given him the vacant No. 10 shirt, hoping he will show the form of the ‘ace‘ he once was.
Sancho left England at a young age in 2017 to join Dortmund for a new challenge. In his second season with the club, 2018-2019, he went “10-10” (10 or more goals and assists), scoring 50 goals and providing 64 assists in 137 games over four seasons.
He then headed to Manchester United in 2021. The Red Devils had been interested in Sancho for a long time, but only for two years. At the time, the Red Devils needed a striker to play alongside Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford in the second line, and they saw Sancho as the perfect fit.
However, since joining United, Sancho has underperformed. In his first season, he had just three goals and three assists in 29 league games, and last season he had six goals and three assists in 26 league games. The Red Devils won the League Cup and finished third under Eric ten Haag, but Sancho’s contributions were minimal.
He was dropped from the squad this season. He was dropped from the squad ahead of a match against Arsenal in September last year, with Van Gaal citing his lack of discipline in training.
In response, Sancho took to social media to publicly criticize Van Gaal.
The situation came to a head and the two sides spoke again, but Sancho refused to apologize and turned away. In response, Ten Haag suspended him from the first team and banned him from the city for all first-team training sessions.
Sancho disappeared for nearly six months under disciplinary action and was never seen on the pitch.
In the meantime, United underwent a major shakeup. After lengthy negotiations, the original owners, the Glazer family, handed over partial ownership and control of the club to Jim Ratcliffe, chairman of the global chemical company INEOS. Ratcliffe brought a discipline-oriented approach to the club and put his trust in Ten Haag.
In the end, Sancho had to find a team where he could play like an outcast, and Dortmund, who have been struggling of late, reached out.
Sancho’s deal is a simple loan. He will return to United at the end of the season. The loan is worth a maximum of €4 million.
