When Manchester United splashed out to sign Jadon Sancho in 2021, it marked the end of a long-running transfer saga.
Many considered the £73 million fee for the winger to be cheap, in comparison to the £100m plus figures Borussia Dortmund were demanding a year earlier.
Sometimes in football you just have to accept a player and club are a bad fit. Even before his September 2023 blow-up with Erik ten Hag and subsequent fallout, Jadon Sancho had shown few signs of becoming a regular impact-maker for Manchester United in the Premier League.
A tally of just nine league goals in two seasons was a disappointing output considering the high numbers he had put up in Germany, which included 17 Bundesliga goals in 2019/20 alone.
Jadon Sancho now performing well
Jadon Sancho returned to Borussia Dortmund on loan in the January transfer window, having not played at all in the four months prior.
Predictably, Sancho’s form has been patchy, improving over the past couple of months, with flashes of brilliance becoming more frequent.
The most recent game saw Sancho score a very impressive goal in a 4-1 win over RB Leipzig.
Dortmund manager Edin Terzic told Sport1 that there is belief Sancho is still well short of hitting his best form, commenting: “Both I notice and Jadon notices that he is not yet at his absolute best, but that is completely normal for us. We knew that.”
Terzic added that Dortmund’s busy fixture schedule makes it tough for Sancho, but takes confidence from what he sees from the on loan winger in training.
He said: “We know that he is capable of reaching this maximum very quickly. The question is, is it possible to do this every three days?
“But we see Jadon perform an action in every training session that shows his extraordinary talent. We see how diligent he is with the tasks and how hard he works on them.”
In 16 games for Borussia Dortmund, Jadon Sancho has scored three goals and has one assist.
Dortmund weigh up big offer for Sancho
Borussia Dortmund are pleased to have Jadon Sancho back at the club, but are undecided whether to commit to him long term.
Sport1 reports Dortmund recognise they could need to submit a 40 million Euros transfer offer for Sancho, which would be a club record fee, above the 35 million Euros they paid for Ousmane Dembele in 2016. The outlet says there are doubts whether the club would go this high.
There is another factor, Sancho’s wages. He would have to take a substantial cut to rejoin Dortmund, and the German side are unclear on if Sancho is willing to take a reduction in salary, or by how much.
Sancho has until the end of the season to convince the Dortmund hierarchy he is worth the outlay.
The glamour Champions League semi-finals against Paris Saint-Germain are the perfect stage for Sancho to step up, and potentially attract some more suitors to the bidding table too.