Jadon Sancho is struggling for form at Borussia Dortmund and will seemingly not be given the opportunity to impress in his favoured No.10 position.
Sancho, 24, has endured a challenging season after falling out of favour at Manchester United following a public bust-up with Erik ten Hag. After spending months training away from the first-team, Sancho was presented with the ideal opportunity to kickstart his career in Germany, but the forward has struggled since re-joining Dortmund on loan.
After contributing two assists in his first two cameo appearances, Sancho has failed to make an impact in his last five matches and is still yet to score since re-joining Dortmund, who sold him in a £73million deal back in the summer of 2021.
Sancho has primarily featured in a wide position since moving back to Germany rather than his preferred No.10 spot. However, Dortmund head coach Edin Terzic has admitted that it's unlikely he will get the opportunity to stake a claim there due to the form of Julian Brandt and Marcos Reus.
Speaking in a press conference on Thursday, Terzic said: "[Sancho] said very confidently that his favourite number is ten. We know that it can be used very flexibly. But Julian Brandt and Marco Reus did really well on the ten."
Marcel Sabitzer completes Man Utd transfer after last-minute deadline day dashIt's been widely acknowledged that Sancho's lack of football is a mitigating factor behind his poor form. He featured just four times for United before being exiled from the first-team group by Ten Hag after taking to social media to dispute claims made by his manager relating to poor training performances.
Terzic stressed the need for patience, adding: "We know that not everyone is at 100 per cent. Jadon hasn't played for a long time, he lacks rhythm. It's often the case that the boys come back after a long downtime or a long break. At the beginning, when everything is new and fun again, you fire up straight away. And then every now and then there's a dip like that."
Join the debate! Should Man Utd sell Sancho in the summer? Let us know here.
With Sancho struggling to hit the ground running in Germany, it remains to be seen where his long-term future lies. It's highly unlikely Dortmund would have the financial capacity to sign him on a permanent basis, while he could yet be offered the chance to salvage his Manchester United career under a different manager if Ten Hag is sacked by Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
The Ineos chief is now in control of sporting operations at Old Trafford after acquiring a 27.7 per cent stake in the club and has yet to decide whether or not to stick with Ten Hag following an underwhelming 2023/24 campaign.
Ratcliffe and his team are expected to overhaul the club's recruitment operations and a number of players, including Sancho, could be moved on permanently in the summer.
and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our