Man Utd chiefs lead talks to diffuse tension between Ten Hag and Sancho

13 September 2023 , 23:00

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Man Utd chiefs lead talks to diffuse tension between Ten Hag and Sancho

Manchester United football director John Murtough is playing a prominent role in talks between Erik ten Hag and Jadon Sancho in the wake of their public spat.

Sancho, 23, lashed out at Ten Hag on social media last week after the Dutchman stated that the winger had been dropped from the matchday squad against Arsenal due to his poor training standards. The England star insisted that Ten Hag's comments were "not true" before claiming that he had been made a "scapegoat" by the Old Trafford chief.

Unsurprisingly, Sancho's response did not go down well with Ten Hag, who held talks with the former Borussia Dortmund ace earlier this week. However, Murtough has now become heavily involved as the club seek to diffuse any tension between the duo.

According to The Mail, the situation is far from straightforward hence Murtough's involvement. Chief executive Richard Arnold has also been involved in talks and is being kept abreast of developments as all parties seek a resolution to an issue which has plagued United during the international break.

It had been speculated earlier this week that Manchester United would attempt to sell Sancho in the January transfer window due to the fact that the winger had failed to take down the pinned social media post hitting out at Ten Hag.

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That has since been removed, however, indicating that there could be a way back for Sancho, who has struggled to live up to expectations at Old Trafford since joining the club in a £73million deal back in the summer of 2021.

Join the debate! Do you think there is any way back for Sancho at Man Utd? Let us know here.

Ten Hag and Sancho have held talks this week (Manchester United via Getty Images)

The Athletic revealed earlier this week that Ten Hag's concerns over Sancho's training performances were present well before the damning comments he delivered after the Arsenal game.

It is claimed in the report that Ten Hag set Sancho alternative rules in a bid to improve his punctuality, with the winger given a schedule which would often begin at least one hour before that of his Old Trafford teammates.

While this approach bore fruit initially, the issues which had previously plagued Sancho began to resurface as the season wore on. It was a disappointing campaign for him on the pitch, too, as he only registered six goals and three appearances in the Premier League.

It remains to be seen whether or not the talks which have taken place between Ten Hag and Sancho this week will lead to him being reintegrated into the squad which will face Brighton on Saturday.

Dan Marsh