The winger's unruly reputation pre-dates his first spell at Signal Iduna Park, but rejoining BVB looks like the best move right now
As the teenager who turned his back on Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, Jadon Sancho was already under intense scrutiny when he arrived at Signal Iduna Park in 2017, so the feeling was that he could have done without Borussia Dortmund quite literally placing even more pressure on his shoulders by handing him the No.7 jersey.
The winger wasn't the least bit perturbed, though. On the contrary, he said it was "a big boost" to his confidence. "Getting seven doesn't faze me," Sancho told five years ago. "It is about coming here and proving myself – that is why I am here."
It's also why he's going back this January.
Getty Images'Best young player in the world'
Dortmund have confirmed that Sancho has re-joined the club on a six-month loan deal – two-and-a-half years after moving to Manchester United for £73 million ($93m). At the time, the transfer was portrayed as a major coup for the Red Devils. Former defender Rio Ferdinand had been touting Sancho as the best young player in the world – "bar none" – for a year, while ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher had previously argued that the "eye-watering" fee would actually turn out to be a bargain.
Then-manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was certainly in no doubt that United would get their money's worth out of a "forward player in the best traditions of the club".
"He will form an integral part of my squad for years to come and we look forward to seeing him blossom," the Norwegian enthused at the time of the transfer.
AdvertisementGetty Images'Hunger to succeed was immense'
Solskjaer, of course, has long since been sacked, which is not that surprising given it was always feared that there was little more to his particular brand of management than telling tales of United's glory years under Sir Alex Ferguson.
However, Sancho's demise has been truly shocking. He's gone from star signing to persona non grata at Old Trafford in a little over two years, amid constant allegations of unprofessional behaviour, which is difficult to wrap one's head around given his coaches at under-age level have repeatedly praised his maturity and commitment to his craft.
Chris McGuane, the former head of Watford's academy, once told the , "Even during games, Jadon would come over and ask for feedback. He would self-correct things he felt had not gone quite right. His hunger to succeed was immense."
Meanwhile, Louis Lancaster, who worked with Sancho at Watford, touted the Londoner as a future Ballon d'Or winner because of his remarkable maturity and pure love of the game. "It doesn't matter if he's at a council pitch in London or in front of 80,000 at Wembley, he just wants to play football," he told the . "He just wants to win. He just wants to be challenged and enjoy the game."
Getty Unseemly City exit
How on earth, then, did a kid that just wants to play football, that wants to be challenged, end up falling out so badly with his manager that he ended up at home playing EAFC24 while his team-mates were playing Bayern Munich in the Champions League?
Guardiola obviously raised questions over Sancho's character after his bold decision to quit City for Dortmund, publicly stating that the player "didn't want to take the challenge, the opportunity to discover if he was able to" become a first-team regular at the Etihad.
City had also been upset by Sancho's decision to turn down a £30,000-a-week contract before he had even made his professional debut – despite assurances over his importance to the club from Guardiola, sporting director Txiki Begiristain and even chairman Khaldoon al Mubarak.
Begiristain reportedly 'scolded' Sancho over the snub, while Guardiola dropped him from a pre-season tour of the United States. Sancho responded by refusing to turn up for training.
Getty Destined for greatness at Dortmund
Still, despite the nature of his City exit, it would be hard to argue that it was an early indicator of a deeply flawed personality. His departure may have been poorly handled, which prompted some at City to question the advice Sancho was receiving from those close to him, but the decision to move to Dortmund was quickly vindicated. Less than a year after his arrival, he was playing Champions League football and lining out for England.
Sancho felt indebted to Dortmund for his meteoric rise "because it’s unheard of for a team that gets 80,000 at every home game to put so much faith in youngsters." Indeed, for their Champions League last-16 first leg against Sevilla on February 17, 2021, BVB fielded Sancho, Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham in the same starting line-up. All three were considered destined for greatness, but while Haaland and Bellingham are now bona fide superstars, Sancho is regarded as one of the biggest flops in Manchester United history – which is no mean feat, given the club's recent record of signing duds.