A homeless player
Sancho is currently on a season-long loan with Aston Villa after joining rivals Manchester United on deadline day at the end of last summer’s window.
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He has been named part of sacked Rubén Amorim’s infamous ‘bomb squad’, forced to train separately from the first team along with his sidelined teammates Antony, Alejandro Garnacho, Marcus Rashford and Tyrell Malacia.
As the Englishman, who has not played for the Three Lions since October 2021, was in the final year of his contract, a purchase option was not included, although the Villans cover 80% of his salary at Old Trafford.
The south London native rarely featured for the Birmingham team in the first half of the campaign, making just 12 appearances before Christmas. However, Unai Emery has relied on him more and more since the start of the year and has started most of Aston Villa’s games since the new year.
Emery has publicly praised Sancho in interviews, and the Spanish coach has indicated to Villa Park executives that a permanent deal should be explored once the current loan ends. But there are plenty of other Premier League clubs also eyeing a free transfer this summer, while there is also interest from Serie A.
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A return to Dortmund
Another potential option for Sancho is Borussia Dortmund, the club Manchester United originally signed him from for £73m in 2021 after establishing himself as one of Europe’s most exciting attackers.
The Bundesliga giants are looking to bring him back to Germany for a third spell, having spent the second half of the 2023/24 campaign on loan at Signal Iduna Park following a major falling out with then-United manager Erik ten Hag. An obstacle to this move was believed to be Dortmund manager Nico Kovac’s strict approach, with zero tolerance for the kind of unprofessionalism with which Sancho has often failed throughout his career, even while thriving with the The black gel.
However, the German newspaper sports image reports that the 54-year-old tactician is open to Sancho returning to Dortmund as he plans to implement a new system next season that uses attacking midfielders, rather than outright wingers, a setup that would maximize Sancho’s strengths. Kovac is said to view the situation “pragmatically”, recognizing that while the winger possesses a “difficult character” off the pitch, he also offers “important strengths” on it.
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Dortmund boss Lars Ricken is also “increasingly enthusiastic about the idea of bringing Sancho back”, while sporting director Sebastian Kehl is described as “always being a supporter” who believes the Manchester City academy graduate is a “clear difference maker”. sports image concludes that “the momentum is now swinging more strongly in favor of a return,” and all the key figures in North Rhine-Westphalia begin to sing with the same anthem.
Final thoughts
The biggest obstacle for Dortmund to sign Sancho is his exorbitant salary, with the report indicating that he earns around €15 million a year at Manchester United. The German club could not come close to matching that figure, but would be willing to present an offer worth “around 7 million euros, bonuses included.”
Sancho is described as “open” to returning to the club where he previously thrived. No direct contact has been established between the two parties, although Dortmund have held initial consultations with their group to assess the viability of a deal, suggesting they may now be willing to make the kind of financial commitment they had previously refused to make.
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From Manchester United’s perspective, the club won’t care where their expensive misfit ends up, it simply seals a permanent exit from Old Trafford.
Featured image Christof Koepsel via Getty Images
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