When Jadon Sancho joined Borussia Dortmund from Manchester City's youth team, he was a trailblazer. Unlike many young players from his country, Sancho chose to play outside of the most popular league in the world. He decided that a club famous for nurturing talents and turning them into superstars would fit him like a glove. And he was right.
Sancho had to wait a while for his opportunity. He wasn’t given a chance in the first half of the season as he mostly played for the U23s. At that time, he represented England in the U-17 World Cup in India and helped his nation lift the trophy alongside Phil Foden, who chose to remain at Man City and fight for his place. But on the Match Day 18 fixture against Wolfsburg, 17-year-old Jadon Sancho was named in the starting 11 for the first time in his career.
The 2018-19 season was a breakout campaign for Sancho. He played a key role as BVB charged for the league title under Lucien Favre. BVB eventually missed out on the trophy by two points, but a star was born in Dortmund. His performances during that season caught the attention of many clubs.
The understanding Sancho managed to form with Marco Reus and Achraf Hakimi, who was on loan from Real Madrid, made Dortmund’s attack lethal. The following season, Erling Haaland joined Dortmund in the January transfer window, forming another great partnership with Sancho.
Despite being heavily linked with a move to Manchester United in the summer of 2020, BVB stood strong and refused to play by United’s delayed response. Sancho played for another season, helping the club win the DFB Pokal for the first time in four years.
In July 2021, Manchester United paid 85 million Euros to secure Sancho’s services. Many believed that the club had finally found the right winger to take the club forward. However, things didn’t particularly pan out as many had hoped. Sancho not only struggled to make an impression at Old Trafford the team also missed out on the Champions League in the 2021/22 season.
Despite winning the Carabao Cup and finishing third in the 2022/23 season, Sancho had very little part to play in Man United’s success. He still showed moments of brilliance, but not in a consistent manner.
There were complaints about his lack of discipline and hard work from the then-manager Erik Ten Hag. Sancho took to X to respond to what the manager said about him in an interview. That post ended up permanently closing the door on his Manchester United future.
Sancho was warmly received when he returned to Dortmund on a half-season loan last season. He was part of the team that reached the Champions League final at Wembley. He did help the team, but he was never the same player he once was.
Sancho is still an immensely talented player but it looks like his lack of discipline and focus have caught up to him. The 25-year-old is now on loan at Chelsea but has lost his regular place in the league and only starts in Conference League games.
Even though he started his adventure in West London strongly, he wasn’t able to maintain it. Borussia Dortmund can’t afford to pay the large salary Sancho will demand, nor can they bank on a player who has been inconsistent in the past.
There has been a tradition of bringing back former players to the club in Dortmund, but it is something a club needs to move away from. Nuri Sahin, Shinji Kagawa, and Mario Gotze were never the same players after they returned. Mats Hummels is the expectation. Sancho is more likely to be one of the former.