Jadon Sancho is likely to be available on the market this summer, but should Arsenal consider making a move for him after impressing for Borussia Dortmund on loan from Man United?
As the Champions League semi final between PSG and Borussia Dortmund drew to a close, there was one player on everybody’s lips – Jadon Sancho.
The England international looked every bit the £73million player who arrived at Manchester Untied in 2021 as he outshone Kylian Mbappe on the biggest stage. It’s thrilling to see that 24-year-old back at his best, and the performance has even led to questions as to whether he has a chance of making a late surge to be in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the Euros. Beyond that though, things remain uncertain.
“I really don’t know,” he said when asked by CBS Sports where he’ll be playing his football next season. “I’m focused on the present right now.”
As things stand he’ll be returning to Manchester and even though Erik ten Hag seems less likely by the day to be in the Old Trafford dugout next season, it’s still unclear whether Sancho will be wanted next season. United are in a position where they need to sell players to comply with Profit and Sustainability rules, and it’s hard to currently see Sancho staying as things stand.
With his performances in Germany in the second half of this season, this will likely start a scramble of clubs looking to secure the signature of a player who was viewed as the best young talent in world football just a few years ago. Dortmund are likely to be the frontrunners, but should Arsenal be in mix too?
A former wonderkid looking to revive his career after falling off track. Sound familiar? With Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard, Mikel Arteta certainly does have form for extracting the maximum potential out of clearly talented players that others were willing to discard.
It’s also easy to see where Sancho could fit in the squad for Arsenal. The Gunners are still yet to find top level competition for Bukayo Saka and the Hale Ender has looked fatigued for periods towards the end of this season as a result. Sancho could definitely fill that role, while also offering Arsenal an option on the left where neither Gabriel Martinelli nor Leandro Trossard have nailed down a regular starting spot this season.
There are, of course, the disciplinary concerns that exist over Sancho. His public fall out with Ten Hag after Arsenal’s clash with United earlier this season was ill-advised and prompted plenty of eyebrow raising within the football industry. He has also had his struggles when it comes to time-keeping both at United and in his first stint at Dortmund. You only need look to how brutally Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was dealt with to show how Arteta feels about that.
There are though, some suggestions that Sancho has improved in this respect. “I experience Jadon has changed, I experience him as more mature in his personality,” Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl said in January. “He knows that he is challenged and that he is coming to Borussia Dortmund in a different role.
“He’s always on time – even over-punctual. He seems incredibly motivated and committed and to see such a player on the pitch is fantastic. I think we’ll have fewer problems than in the past.”
Sancho is clearly a player who needs to feel at home to flourish. The presence of his childhood friend Reiss Nelson could help this, and many sources around the playing staff at Arsenal have pointed to a family atmosphere that Arteta has been able to foster.
Our colleagues up at the MEN have suggested that Sancho could be available for as little as £30million this summer. The 24-year-old also shares an agent with Bukayo Saka and Eddie Nketiah, so in theory, Edu’s strong relationship could make the deal easy enough to do. Moving for Sancho would certainly represent a risk, but in the stable and structured atmosphere at Arsenal, it could be one worth taking.
