Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho in action. (Getty Images)
It has been the saga of the summer. Manchester United’s relentless pursuit of Jadon Sancho dominated headlines even before the end of last season and still continues to do the same. However, with the transfer window now wrapped up, the final outcome is that Jadon Sancho is still a Borussia Dortmund player.
The 20-year-old English forward started his youth career at Watford in 2007 and played for their youth sides for 8 seasons.
In 2015, he joined Manchester City’s academy. His talents were on full show there as he was promoted to the U-18’s within two seasons. Despite being just 16, he was showing outrageous talent. It looked like he would be making the step up to the senior side sooner than later. In 22 games for the U-18’s, he scored 15 goals and assisted 6.
Come 2017, Sancho decided to move abroad in search of first-team football, something that was clearly impossible at Man City given the stock of players they had at the time. The winger went on to join Borussia Dortmund.
Three years down the line, no one can say that he made the wrong decision. He has gone from an ambitious teenager to one of the best right-wingers in the game. His stats for Dortmund are rather mind-boggling. The tricky winger has made 102 appearances for the club so far and has scored 35 goals 45 assists (source – Transfermarkt).
Sancho has found good success for the national team too. He won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2017 and is a part of the senior side currently.
It has been one of the most frustrating transfer sagas in recent memory between Manchester United and Dortmund, with Sancho at the centre of it.
However, the bottomline remained that Borussia Dortmund were unwilling to budge from their £108m valuation of the player.
However, Manchester United absolutely cannot let their heads drop at Dortmund’s stance. They need a world-class right winger and Sancho is one of them. Not only does he fulfill the homegrown quota, he also fits the bracket of transfers Manchester United have made in recent times – young and talented.
There are few 20-year-olds in world football who can do what Sancho can with a football. Man United must return for the player in January. They must sanction the sale of deadwood players like Phil Jones and Jesse Lingard and somehow stump up the cash at Dortmund’s door. He is one player who can take Manchester United’s already improving attack to another level.
