Sancho makes Ten Hag change his mind on transfer amid new Man Utd position
Jadon Sancho is fighting for his Manchester United future but his new role in pre-season suggests that boss Erik ten Hag is impressed with the forward’s progress.
Things have not gone to plan for the talented winger since joining United from Borussia Dortmund in a £72million deal in the summer of 2021. Sancho has scored just 12 goals in 79 appearances for the Red Devils having netted 50 goals in just over three seasons for the Bundesliga side.
Reports earlier this month suggested that United would be open to offers for the England international and had even been open to offering Sancho as a makeweight in any potential move for Tottenham striker Harry Kane.
United’s need for a new No.9 is well-documented with Anthony Martial the only senior player whose preference is for a central striking position. The Frenchman’s injury issues this summer have seen Sancho utilised in that a ‘false 9’ role over United’s three pre-season games to date.
This theoretically means that United do not play with a striker but Sancho is given somewhat of a free role to disrupt the opposition’s defence – he played against Leeds and Lyon before starring against Arsenal, scoring a fine goal with a well-timed run and superb finish.
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His spell at Old Trafford has been bursts of promising form followed by lean patches – he scored crucial goals in two of United’s first five Premier League matches last season but then went over five months until finding the net in the division again.
Sancho scored a superb goal against Arsenal in a pre-season friendly (Howard Smith/ISI Photos/Getty Images)Have Your Say! Will Sancho be a regular starter for Man Utd this season? Tell us what you think here.
Speaking back in September, Ten Hag said of Sancho: "He's doing well, but I think there's much more room for improvement for him because he has so many skills.
"We will fill in the period really good. We can go specific. That can be beneficial to continue the season. We know, after this break, every three days there will be a game."
Sancho had a prolonged break from the United first-team, a spell which included an injury and the month-long break for the World Cup last winter. The versatile forward played a prominent role in the season run-in, with Ten Hag praising the progress he had made over the course of the campaign.
"He did very well on the right side and I think he played a very good game," Ten Hag said after United’s penultimate game of last season – a 4-1 home victory over Chelsea. "I think Jadon Sancho is one of the players who made progress in the season and there were many players in our squad who made good progress. I think it's a good base to build further on."
The Dutchman added that Sancho is capable of starring for Manchester United on either the left flank or the right. Ten Hag continued: "He can do both. I think he prefers to play on the left, but we have seen today he is very good on the right as well."
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