Jadon Sancho’s future at Manchester United seems to be over. His feud with manager Erik ten Hag has become a distraction, and it has gotten to the point where it is a bit ridiculous.
Since joining United from Borussia Dortmund in a transfer worth 85 million euros, Sancho has been a disappointment. The flashes of brilliance have been few and far between, with inconsistency being the hallmark of his tenure in Manchester thus far.
Despite all he accomplished in the Bundesliga as a legitimately world-class player for BVB, he has built no goodwill to fall back on in Manchester, so his feud with ten Hag is one-sided despite the pressure on the latter.
Sancho has a lot to prove. He benefited from open spaces and Dortmund’s playing style under Lucien Favre. There is a ton of quality in this player, who was a double-digit goal and assist machine in one of Europe’s top five leagues.
A loan deal could be in the cards for Sancho, with the hope being that he can parlay that into a significant transfer fee if he truly has no long-term future with Manchester United.
Here are five teams that could take a flier on the talented England international.
Dortmund
A reunion with Dortmund has been the most-discussed option on the transfer rumor mill, dating all the way back to the end of the 2022/23 season when things weren’t going quite as badly for the 23-year-old winger.
Dortmund are in dire straits to start the 2023/24 season. After blowing the league title on the last day against Mainz, Dortmund look like they will struggle to make it into the top four this year. In 2020/21, Sancho joined forces with Erling Haaland to save Dortmund from finishing outside the Champions League places, so this is actually familiar territory for the young forward.
Sancho knows BVB, and they have a good environment for him. They also need a true winger, as Karim Adeyemi is struggling and Donyell Malen cannot be the only top option if the young German international continues to struggle.
Dortmund don’t have the money to spend on a permanent transfer, so a loan would be the only option for Manchester United here.
Real Madrid
This one is a bit of a shot in the dark, especially because Real Madrid generally don’t make winter acquisitions. They could be more open to a loan that does not risk mortgaging their future moves financially, and if results like the one against Atlético Madrid keep happening, Madrid could look for another option.
They are currently utilizing a 4-4-2 with Jude Bellingham as an attacking midfielder, but Real Madrid usually utilize a 4-3-3.
The departure in formation is due to the loss of Karim Benzema, but with Rodrygo Goes struggling to score goals and Joselu impressing at striker, a move back to a traditional 4-3-3 could be possible.
Real Madrid already brought Brahim Díaz back from his loan with Milan to be an option on the right wing, and Rodrygo and Fede Valverde are other possibilities.
But they are not out-and-out creative wingers like Sancho, who is better at holding width and creating chances.
Anything more than a loan makes no sense for Madrid, and they are therefore the least realistic of these five options. But they showed interest in Sancho back in 2020. They could lurk in the mix.
Juventus
Of the most storied clubs, Juventus may make more sense than Real Madrid. They’ve been playing Federico Chiesa up top with Dušan Vlahović in a 3-5-2, and while Chiesa has been great to start the season, we all know he is at his best as a left winger with someone on the right side to take pressure off him.
Chiesa cutting inside and scoring goals with Vlahović leading the line while Sancho creates from the right side would be a dream trident for Juventus.
They’ve struggled to find that last piece of the puzzle. Ángel Di María had his moments but was largely a mediocre signing.
Juve need a young, dynamic option who can take defenders on, progress the ball, and provide end product. Sancho, who completed three dribbles per game in two Bundesliga seasons, could be the right fit.
Napoli
Hirving Lozano is now at PSG, leaving Matteo Politano as the only real option on the right wing for the Partenopei.
Napoli have stumbled to start the season without Luciano Spalletti, and while the defense is the bigger concern after losing Kim Min-jae on the cheap to Bayern Munich, Khivhca Kvaratskhelia and Victor Osimhen could use one more key forward. Elijf Elmas seems to be locked in as a super-sub.
Sancho can offer the pace, creation, and intensity that Napoli need. He could open up even more space for Kvaratskhelia than Politano, another dynamic athlete, does.
Like with Dortmund and Real Madrid, Napoli would never be open to a permanent transfer in the winter, but Manchester United probably want a loan deal just to rehab the talented 23-year-old’s value anyway.
PSG
The rumors surrounding Ousmane Dembélé should not be taken seriously. He isn’t going anywhere so soon after PSG acquired him from Barcelona as a priority target, and the people criticizing him are focusing way too much on the missed chances and not on his actual role, which is to create opportunities for his teammates.
PSG have a locked-in front three with Kylian Mbappé, Randal Kolo Muani, and Dembélé. They also have another major summer acquisition as an option, as left-footed Marco Asensio has already shown his quality with some delicious finishes.
That said, PSG could use one more winger for depth purposes, as Mbappé’s recent injury is a reminder of how fleeting this position can be. Dembélé is one of the most injury-prone players in world football, and Asensio has a history of a major injury, too.
Jadon Sancho is someone who can get on the pitch, deliver results, and absolutely destroy teams in transition, which is what Luis Enrique has turned PSG into.
He can relieve pressure off Mbappé, giving the star left winger more space to cut inside and score. Sancho is worth taking a flier on for PSG as they look to keep pushing for a Champions League trophy.
