A second club have distanced themselves from the possibility of signing Jadon Sancho for free from Manchester United next summer.
Since joining Aston Villa on loan from Manchester United in September, Jadon Sancho has struggled to make a meaningful impression.
After a fairly encouraging loan spell at Chelsea, he may have expected a similar experience this season. Instead, it’s been a disappointing stint so far, with the English winger starting just three of his eight appearances.
Although Unai Emery’s side claimed an excellent win over Manchester City two weeks ago, it proved to be a difficult afternoon for Sancho, who endured the kind of experience no player wants.
He came on to replace the injured Emi Buendía in the first half, only to be substituted himself midway through the second. The following week, he played just 19 minutes in a 4–0 loss to AFC Bournemouth.
Dortmund distance themselves from Sancho transfer
It has been widely reported that although United have the option to extend Sancho’s current contract by a further season to protect his value and possibly secure a transfer fee for the player this summer, the club are instead set to let him see out his contract at the end of June.
It has also been stated that although Villa have signed him on a one-year loan, they are not currently considering signing him permanently once he becomes a free agent, although his former club, Borussia Dortmund, would possibly be interested.
However, as reported by Sport 1, this is not currently being considered by Dortmund. It was claimed in the summer that the Bundesliga side did not want to enter the race for Sancho because they were afraid of being labelled as lacking imagination and the cost of the money it would entail.
Further, Sport 1 reporter Oliver Müller stated that Dortmund’s links with Sancho have become a “running gag,” and that he is not a topic of interest or conversation in Germany.
“He’s no longer a hot commodity on the transfer market,” Müller added. “It’s true that some fans long for it. But it’s not a realistic scenario. The fans always hope that the sight of Phoenix Lake will ease his tension. But that’s nothing more than a fairytale.”
United’s Sancho error is a lesson learned
When United signed Sancho in 2021, it was portrayed as a monumental £73 million transfer that could transform the club from chasing a top-four spot to challenging for the Premier League title. That same summer, they brought in Raphaël Varane from Real Madrid, and Cristiano Ronaldo returned.
However, after multiple clashes with managers, staff members, and his own teammates, alongside the loans to Dortmund, Chelsea, and Aston Villa and snipes at United while playing elsewhere, it’s clear that United got his character very wrong.
Now, the club are engaging in a different type of recruitment. Before choosing to pursue a player, United now engages in extensive background checks on potential signings to assess their character, professionalism, and footballing fit, with the signing of Benjamin Šeško being a key example.
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According to The Telegraph, Šeško has quickly impressed at United with his professionalism and dedication to self-improvement, and is the type of transfer the club want to repeat in future.
While players report at 9:45 am, he regularly arrives by 8:00 am to use the hyperbaric chamber alongside Diogo Dalot, aiding muscle preparation. After training, he stays for extended recovery sessions featuring massages, sauna and ice baths, while also practising mindfulness.
Away from Carrington, Šeško maintains his focus through yoga, meditation and box breathing — part of a “clean-living” approach United see as central to their new dressing-room culture.
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