MAN UTD'S MASTERPLAN COMES TO FRUITION AFTER ERIK TEN HAG AND JADON SANCHO TRUCE

Jadon Sancho's return to the first-team picture at Manchester United was motivated by a desire to find a buyer for the out-of-favour winger.

Sancho has left the Red Devils, joining Chelsea on loan late on deadline day. His switch to Stamford Bridge also includes an obligation to buy next summer, ending his underwhelming spell at Old Trafford with the Red Devils ready to take a financial hit to rid of him.

Sancho's days in Manchester looked to be numbered when he publicly clashed with Erik ten Hag, who left him out of a matchday squad last term. It meant the winger was frozen out of the first-team, eventually heading out on loan to Borussia Dortmund.

He was brought back into the picture this summer, featuring in several pre-season games. However the BBC reports that the truce which saw Sancho return under Ten Hag was in part so that he could regain his fitness - and show potential suitors that he was in a good condition.

Last term when the winger headed back to Germany he needed to get up to the speed of playing matches regularly having been without a game for months after his spat with the manager.

Ten Hag's days of utilising Sancho, who missed a crucial penalty in the Community Shield shootout defeat to Manchester City recently, are now over. The winger had several possible suitors, Juventus among them, but it was Chelsea who eventually won the race and will sign him permanently for around £25million in 12 months time.

Surprisingly the United boss did suggest midway through deadline day that Sancho was more likely to remain at Old Trafford than he was to leave, claiming he was happy to have the 24-year-old - that despite him omitting the England international from both matchday squads so far this term.

He said: "He is a player in our squad and we are happy with him. We need a good squad, we need depth. We have to play many games until January. After the break we play every third day so we need options."

Sancho cost United more than £70m when they landed his signature back in the summer of 2021. He had a host of top clubs eyeing him as he continued to blossom at Dortmund, but couldn't replicate that form in Manchester. The winger needed several months before scoring his first goal and only notched 12 times during his spell at the club.

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2024-08-31T07:26:19Z dg43tfdfdgfd