03 December 2023 , 08:15
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Jadon Sancho seemingly had the world at his feet before joining Manchester United in the summer of 2021.
The England star, 24, was being courted by a host of elite European clubs at the peak of his powers after terrorising the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund, including clubs from the Premier League.
After 12 tedious months of speculation, United eventually struck a deal worth £73million for his services, but there was also reported interest in Sancho from Liverpool.
Around 18 months prior to Sancho's blockbuster switch to England, Anfield hero John Barnes urged him to stay put amid reports linking him with a move to Merseyside. He believed Sancho could do himself more harm than good by leaving Dortmund too early - comments which speak volumes amid the winger's current struggles at United.
Back in March 2020, Barnes told BonusCodeBets: "If Jadon Sancho is willing to come to Liverpool and not play every week and sit on the bench, then absolutely he should come to Liverpool. But I always tell young players to be careful and play at a high level for four-five years before moving to a bigger club.
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"Salah and Mane have been around for four or five seasons now and have shown their quality and experience, whereas Sancho has been around for 18 months and needs to show that consistency over a three-year period before he costs £100million to a huge club. That doesn't happen in modern football anymore, nowadays, if you are young and have just one good season, someone is going to spend £80 million-plus on you.
"I would advise Jadon Sancho to develop more and show that level of consistency before he is going to be put under a lot of pressure by being a £100million player playing at one of the biggest clubs in the world."
Former Liverpool favourite John Barnes urged Sancho to ignore transfer interest from the Premier League (Getty Images)While Sancho would ultimately get his big move just months later, his stock has fallen dramatically at Old Trafford. After struggling to make a significant impression during his first two years in Manchester, Sancho's plight has gone from bad to worse this year.
The forward is currently unavailable for selection and exiled from all first-team activities after becoming embroiled in a public feud with Erik ten Hag.
Sancho has not made a single first-team appearance since September and is widely expected to leave the club in January - although it remains to be seen if any of his reported suitors will be willing to meet Manchester United's demands.
Three years on from having the world at his feet, Sancho is at a crossroads. And Barnes' warning over moving too soon looks pretty spot on.