Outwardly, there has been little trace of the preseason turbulence that has consumed Jadon Sancho’s career for the better part of a year.
On Friday afternoon, he arrived for training at UCLA’s Wallis Annenberg Stadium in a golf buggy, laughing and joking with Marcus Rashford. While several Manchester United teammates have struggled with jet lag at the start of the club’s preseason trip on the west coast of America, Sancho has slept well.
One member of the traveling squad couldn’t believe he’d slept for almost the whole 11-hour journey from Manchester to LAX and then had a full eight hours on Wednesday night when the team arrived.
It’s a far cry from September 2023, when Sancho slammed manager Erik ten Hag in an inflammatory social media rant, resulting in a four-month suspension from Carrington’s first-team facilities. It was followed by a hurriedly negotiated loan transfer to former club Borussia Dortmund in January, and a triumphant return to Germany, culminating in a Champions League final appearance against Real Madrid at Wembley Stadium in June.
For the time being, however, Sancho has returned to United. He would not be in California if it hadn’t been for clear-the-air conversations with Ten Hag early this month, a remarkable development considering that the gap had shown no indications of melting during the previous ten months.
The official reason is that Sancho has been reintegrated into the team after “reflecting on past issues,” and Ten Hag has resolved to put the incident behind him and move forward. It is unclear if the Dutchman received the apology he had previously wanted, with sources simply stating that both sides had softened.
When questioned about the issue at a press conference in Los Angeles on Friday, Ten Hag simply said, “We need good players, and he is a very good player.”
Sancho’s skill is undeniable, as seen by his amazing performance in the first leg of the Champions League semifinals against Paris Saint-Germain back in May. But it is unclear if he can do so under the intensive scrutiny of the United States media.
So far, his three-year stay at Old Trafford has been a tremendous failure. After a two-year chase, he ultimately signed for £73 million in 2021 and has shown sparks in 58 Premier League matches, but not much more.
Part of the problem has been his position. At the time of his signing, United insiders were quick to point out that he had been signed to play on the right flank, which has been a problem position for the club for some years. Sancho, on the other hand, wants to play on the left flank, where United already has Rashford.
The issue has not gone away; rather, it has gotten more apparent. Rashford, like Alejandro Garnacho, still prefers to play on the left. Garnacho is on an extended holiday after representing Argentina in the Copa America, but with Sancho and Rashford working at UCLA on Friday, both made a point of watching Ten Hag.
Rashford and Sancho were on separate sides during two seven-on-seven practices led by new assistant coach Rene Hake, and both played on the left. Sancho sometimes slipped inside, but Rashford remained as wide as possible, challenging his opponent before cutting in with his right foot to fire.
Rashford started on the left for the friendly against Arsenal at SoFi Stadium on Saturday and set up Rasmus Hojlund’s goal with a clipped ball over the top. Sancho came in for Rashford at halftime and was quiet until the game’s final penalty shootout when he confidently stepped up to score the winner.
United had been open to bids for Sancho before his comeback, and this remains true despite his restoration into the first-team squad. There’s a hypothesis that Manchester United was motivated to bring him back because a player in exile loses value faster than an active member of the club, and, at the absolute least, Sancho is keeping healthy and working hard.
The difficulty is that United’s current value of approximately £40 million has discouraged the bulk of bidders, notably Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus. Dortmund would love to have him back, but only on loan, and as things are, United is unwilling to entertain another temporary transfer, especially one that would need to pay a significant amount of his earnings. It is unclear if their attitude will alter as Deadline Day approaches, and it may be influenced by how long the ceasefire with Ten Hag lasts.
The ideal conclusion for United is that the schism is repaired and Sancho resumes the form that drew the club to make him their fourth most expensive acquisition ever. If it occurs, Ten Hag will sleep as well as Sancho next season.
