With the January transfer window over and not much action this time, there were still some interesting moves. Jadon Sancho was loaned back to his previous club, Borussia Dortmund, after the winger fell out of favor at Manchester United.
Sancho had a public disagreement with manager Erik ten Hag and has not been part of the squad, even banished from training since then. So the club decided to let him go this winter, and Dortmund opted to bring him back on a loan deal. Talks over his future are now ongoing.
BVB director talks on Jadon Sancho’s future
Jadon Sancho was previously with Borussia Dortmund from 2017 to 2021, where he emerged as one of the best wingers globally. His impressive performances led to Manchester United paying a hefty fee of £73 million for his services. However, his time at the Red Devils has not been as successful, and he had a falling out with the manager last year.
This led to Dortmund bringing him in on a short loan deal until the rest of the season. While there was no buy in deal, many believed that the club would eventually make it permanent. United themselves planned to assess his performances at the club, and then sell him to the German club if the right amount is paid.
🟡⚫️ BVB director Kehl: "Buy option clause for Jadon Sancho or Maatsen was not realistic".
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 4, 2024
"We naturally advocated for an option with Sancho and Maatsen but the negotiating position was not such that we could implement it… and so we will accept it for now". pic.twitter.com/UpO5ajamSj
However, it seems the Bundesliga club has no desire to make a permanent move for Sancho. BVB’s sporting director Sebastian Kehl recently said they were not realistically looking to make permanent moves.
“Buy option clause for Jadon Sancho or Maatsen was not realistic. We naturally advocated for an option with Sancho and Maatsen but the negotiating position was not such that we could implement it… and so we will accept it for now,” Sebastian said.
This means they only wanted Sancho in the short term to help them in the current season, and United will have to reassess their transfer strategy in the summer to reflect this.
Is Jadon Sancho injured?
Jadon Sancho has already proved to be close to his previous levels in a few games. He had assisted a crucial goal in his new debut for the club, and even won a penalty in the next game. This meant that Sancho was becoming the player fans knew him to be and Dortmund were taking advantage of that.
Borussia Dortmund have revealed that Jadon Sancho has suffered a muscle injury with manager Edin Terzic citing the winger’s long exile at Manchester United as a contributing factor. pic.twitter.com/TRZFU3F1zD
— Mutenga Grievious (@GrievousMutenga) February 1, 2024
But like all good things, it was cut short unfortunately due to an injury. Coach Edin Terzic confirmed that he was not in their training sessions due to issues in his adductor muscle. He was absent in the game against Heidenheim, causing some doubt.
While the injury is not that serious, they don’t want to take a chance and are playing it safe. He even blamed the injury due to Sancho being on a four month break during his United banishment. Dortmund will now prepare for their next game against SC Freiburg on Saturday, with Jadon Sancho still a doubt.
