Man United forward told pre-season attribute will be crucial ahead of ‘vital’ season

Jadon Sancho impressed during pre-season following an underwhelming Manchester United career thus far.

The 23-year-old was signed in the summer of 2021 from Borussia Dortmund but has yet to recreate the form that saw him flourish in the Bundesliga on a consistent basis.

His best chance of a turnaround remains at Old Trafford under Erik ten Hag – the Dutchman helped reignite Marcus Rashford’s career last term and will be hoping for Sancho to make similar strides to his teammate.

During pre-season, Sancho has impressed in a false nine role for United. However, it was his intensity levels and sprint speed which stood out. He was taking on his man more often and showing a burst not often seen during last season.

Former United striker Louis Saha believes that his fitness during the camp was the main takeaway from pre-season and that this coming season is a vital campaign for him at club and international level, with the European Championship next summer.

“The fact Jadon was able to perform well in a new role is another sign that he’s a quality player. What’s really impressed me about Jadon during pre-season has been his fitness,” Saha told BetFred.

“This upcoming season will be vital for him because he will want to get back in the England squad and he will be desperate to prove that he’s still a great player and as the team is continuing to improve, he will have no excuses if he fails to show how good he is.”

Whilst the playmaker will need to improve his own level, Saha also believes that the latest signing of Rasmus Hojlund, who is a pure striker, will help him in the final third but that he needs to be more decisive in those moments.

“I believe Sancho will also benefit from the addition of Rasmus Højlund because Jadon’s a creator,” he added. “However, Jadon has shown that he’s capable of doing a good job in the false nine role and he provides this team with a different option ahead of the new season.

“I do believe that Jadon overthinks things a bit too much sometimes, but I believe he just needs to be more confident in himself and his abilities and he needs to do everything he can to make sure he can get on the ball in the final third.”