The Jadon Sancho to Manchester United saga has dragged on for too long. So much so that when Manchester United had officially reached an agreement in principle with Borussia Dortmund for a sum of £72.9 million across various football news sources, the reaction amongst many in the fanbase was relief rather than excitement. However, Man Utd have been very shrewd about the transfer of England’s 21 year old winger and by prolonging the saga, the Old Trafford side have paid a significantly lesser amount than what was demanded by Dortmund this time last year.
It’s fair to say that Sancho is one of the hottest prospects in world football, having averaged 0.51 goals per 90 minutes in the Bundesliga and the Champions League and an impressive 0.57 assists per 90 in the past two seasons. Despite having played a fringe role in England’s Euro 2020 set up, Sancho has the most impressive figures out of all the Three Lions wide options and it’s a mystery why Gareth Southgate has not featured the winger more often.
While rival fans and critics may claim that the Bundesliga is not comparable to the Premier League which is widely considered to be the most competitive in the world, Sancho has excelled in the Champions League as well with six assists and five goals in 21 appearances and ranks 15th for assists per 90 minutes, 9th for take ons attempted and 19th for chances created. What’s even more impressive is that Sancho has created more chances, attempted more take-ons, made more passes in the final third and registered more assists than any other England international, all this at the tender age of 21.
Manchester United have lacked a natural right winger for years now, one might say they haven’t had one since Antonio Valencia left the club while others would go as far as 2009 and say that since Cristiano Ronaldo left for Real Madrid, Man United have lacked a winger in that position. Valencia, for all of his athletic prowess, was a limited player, dependent on crosses and could not cut back inside to create or score goals as often. Daniel James on the other hand may be fast, but isn’t a suitable option for teams sitting deep where quick counter attacks are not an option. Mason Greenwood is a young prodigy, but he seems to be more suitable for a central role as a future Manchester United frontman rather than a winger. With the signing of Jadon Sancho, Manchester United are addressing a position that has not been adequately filled for many years.
Moreover, Jadon Sancho is familiar with many Manchester United players already. Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire are currently with the 21 year old at England’s Euro 2020 camp while Sancho is undoubtedly familiar with Mason Greenwood and Aaron Wan Bissaka who are also his countrymen. His familiarity with Manchester, having played for the blue half till 2017 means his transition off the field should be seamless and the winger is expected to settle down fairly quickly.
Most importantly, Manchester United fans will have to manage their expectations from Jadon Sancho. There will be pressure on the 21 year old to set the Old Trafford stage alight, especially after a mammoth transfer fee. It will be important to remember that Sancho will need to acclimatize to the Premier League, their style of play and his new teammates. What Manchester United have in Jadon Sancho is a ‘prospect’ who can easily make Old Trafford his stage for a decade or more and patience will be key to see the winger fulfill his potential.
