Sancho's Absence Against Manchester United
Jadon Sancho made his 29th Aston Villa appearance in the Europa League win at Lille. However, he will not feature when Manchester United face Aston Villa in the Premier League at Old Trafford on Sunday. Premier League regulations prohibit loaned players from competing against their parent clubs, rendering Sancho ineligible for Unai Emery's squad during the trip to the north-west.
This situation extends a pattern that neither Sancho nor Manchester United can regard positively. Despite signing a five-year contract with United in 2021, Sancho has frequently been absent from matches at Old Trafford.
At the time of his transfer from Borussia Dortmund, Sancho described the move as "a dream come true." The subsequent reality has been markedly different.
Sancho's last appearance at Old Trafford occurred on 26 August 2023, when he entered as a second-half substitute in a comeback victory against Nottingham Forest. Overall, he has made 30 Premier League appearances at Old Trafford, completing the full 90 minutes on only 10 occasions. Apart from a brief seven-minute substitute appearance in the 2024 Community Shield, Sancho will spend the remaining two and a half years of his United contract playing elsewhere—initially at Borussia Dortmund, then Chelsea, and currently Aston Villa.
Minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe expressed astonishment upon learning the extent of Sancho's remaining transfer fee obligations. Speaking to in March 2025, Ratcliffe stated:
"Sancho now plays for Chelsea and we pay half his wages. We're paying £17m to buy him in the summer."
The Missed Year
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer identified Sancho as a key transfer target in the summer of 2020, with Borussia Dortmund setting a deadline of 10 August to finalize a deal. United anticipated that Dortmund's stance was a negotiating tactic and expected Sancho to depart regardless. However, despite increasing their bid, United failed to secure Sancho's transfer, and he remained at Dortmund.
The following season proved to be one of the most productive in Sancho's career, as he scored 16 goals and provided 20 assists across 38 matches in all competitions. Notably, he scored twice and assisted Erling Haaland in Dortmund's 4-1 German Cup final victory over RB Leipzig.
Sancho's performances earned him selection for England's European Championship squad. At 21 years old, only Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, and Jude Bellingham were younger members of the team. The tournament concluded unfavorably for England; Sancho missed a penalty in the shootout during the final loss to Italy and, along with Saka and Marcus Rashford, was subjected to racist abuse, resulting in one individual receiving a prison sentence.
Sancho has not replicated that level of form at Manchester United, scoring 12 goals and registering six assists in 79 appearances across all competitions. Since that final full campaign at Dortmund, his combined statistics across four clubs amount to 21 goals and 20 assists in 173 matches.
A Tactical Misfit
Upon completing Sancho's signing in 2021—12 months later than initially planned—United encountered a tactical challenge. Club scouts had identified Sancho as a threat on the right wing, complementing Rashford's pace on the left. However, Sancho preferred playing on the left side. His integration was further delayed by an ear infection that required hospitalization.
During Sancho's debut season at Old Trafford, Rashford's form declined, yet Sancho was not consistently deployed in his favored position. The subsequent season marked Rashford's best career performance, with 30 goals from the left wing, which relegated Sancho to the right wing or the bench.
Personal Problems
Sancho's form dipped further due to personal issues that led to a three-month hiatus in autumn 2022. He has not publicly discussed these matters. Manager Erik ten Hag believed the situation was triggered by Sancho's exclusion from the England squad in September and the resulting absence from the Qatar World Cup.
During Sancho's absence, ten Hag commented:
"It's physical, but physical is also the connection with mental."
Ten Hag managed the sensitive situation with empathy, arranging for Sancho to work with familiar coaches in the Netherlands before reintegrating him into the team.
Falling Out with Ten Hag
Sancho's relationship with ten Hag deteriorated at the start of his third season at United. He was unexpectedly omitted from the matchday squad for a 2023 trip to Arsenal. When questioned about Sancho's absence, ten Hag criticized his training performances. Sancho responded promptly on social media, claiming he had been made a "scapegoat."
Benni McCarthy, a member of ten Hag's coaching staff, reflected on the situation:
"I spoke to Jadon as a coach, as a mentor, as a friend, and as someone who grew up on the streets and knows the code,"
"But Jadon just wasn't seeing it. He said, 'I ain't apologising because if I do, I'm apologising for being lazy, always being late, not giving my best'."
What Happens Next?
The standoff between ten Hag and Sancho lasted four months before Sancho joined Dortmund on loan for the remainder of the season, contributing to their progress to the Champions League final. Dortmund, however, could not afford to retain him. United sporting director Dan Ashworth was credited with facilitating a temporary reconciliation that allowed Sancho to rejoin United for the 2024 pre-season. Nevertheless, this arrangement was short-lived, as Chelsea agreed to a loan deal with an obligation to purchase at the end of the season.
After scoring five goals in 41 appearances for Chelsea, the club opted to pay a £5 million penalty to return Sancho to Old Trafford. Upon his return, Sancho was excluded from the first team and assigned to train separately under Ruben Amorim's 'bomb squad' until his transfer to Aston Villa on 1 September.
United retain an option to extend Sancho's contract by an additional year beyond its summer 2026 expiration, though publicly they have withheld comment, and it is widely anticipated they will not exercise this option.
At 25 years old, Sancho still possesses significant potential. While he has demonstrated moments of quality at Villa, his long-term future at the club remains uncertain.
Michael Carrick, United's interim head coach who previously worked with Sancho, commented:
"Seeing Jadon close up, technically, he's got an awful lot of ability,"
"In and around the box; his ball carrying; his little plays; the connections; his creativity; the way he handles the ball - he's got natural ability.
"He's always had it all the way coming through. That's one part of football.
"But - and I'm not talking about Jadon individually on this - it is just how it is and how it should be.
"You can't just assume it's all going to be smooth. It's proven that it's not always like that.
"You've got to find a way through it. If you are playing in a good team with good players and a good squad and depth, that's part of the challenge to stay at the top."
