Hans Joachim Watzke: Manchester United rumours may have led to dip in Jadon Sancho’s form at Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans Joachim Watzke has said that Jadon Sancho’s dip in form may have been caused by the speculation about his future.

Jadon Sancho has not been able to find his best form so far this season. And Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans Joachim Watzke believes that his dip in form could be attributed to the distractions of his failed summer move to Manchester United. Sancho was heavily linked with a move to Manchester United in the summer. But after the Premier League side failed to meet the terms set by the BVB bosses, the move did not materialise. Watzke had his say on Sancho’s form in an interview with Kicker. 

"“Maybe Jadon had subconsciously prepared a little for a transfer. I believe he at least thought about it enough that he lost a bit of his ease. But for weeks now, I have found him to be trying very hard. I think he needs two, three successful games in a row, then things will quickly start looking up again. He still is one of the greatest talents there is.”"

Watzke added that Sancho was never really close to moving to Manchester United, despite the heavy rumours linking him with a move.

"“The alleged transfer sum mentioned many times in the media never existed in reality. And if you then get signalled to at some point that a large part of the sum offered will only be paid in a few years, it becomes a purely theoretical discussion,” Watzke said."

Despite not being at his best, Sancho still has five goals and nine assists to his name in 19 appearances in all competitions so far this season. The Englishman got a goal and an assist on Sunday as he helped Borussia Dortmund earn a 2-0 win over Wolfsburg.

Watzke: Erling Haaland will not look for Borussia Dortmund exit in the summer

Hans Joachim Watzke also said that he does not expect Erling Haaland to look for a move away from Borussia Dortmund this summer. The striker has been linked with a number of clubs, including Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester City. But Watzke believes he would be wise to stay on with the Black and Yellows for at least another year.

"“I don’t think that will happen. Erling and his agent, Mino Raiola, know what they have with us. I can only advise him to do as Robert Lewandowski did. He gave himself the time to mature into a world-class player at Dortmund”“You can’t achieve that (becoming world-class) in just one year. It is clear that if Erling were to leave us at some point, he’d only go to an even bigger club. And there aren’t that many to choose from. If you got to a club like – just to give an example – Real Madrid, you need to already be world-class.”"

Haaland and his agent have both stated in recent weeks that the 20 year old is very happy at Borussia Dortmund. Haaland also spoke recently about his dream to help Dortmund win titles.