5 reasons why Jadon Sancho could struggle at Manchester United
Manchester United recently announced the big-money signing of Jadon Sancho. The Red Devils were severely understocked in players naturally suited to the right flank, and the acquisition of a world-class talent in Sancho could prove to be the last piece of the puzzle in United’s attacking third.
The former Manchester City academy player has showcased tremendous promise and put in consistent performances in his four-year spell at Borussia Dortmund. Jadon Sancho registered an involvement in 114 goals (50 goals, 64 assists) from 137 appearances for the German outfit.
There is a huge burden of expectations on Jadon Sancho's young shoulders to hit the ground running at Old Trafford, but things don’t always pan out as expected.
Today, we take a look at the five reasons why Jadon Sancho could struggle at Manchester United.
#5 Price-tag pressure
Manchester United have reportedly splurged a whopping €85 million to bring the Borussia Dortmund forward back to English shores.
Jadon Sancho’s former employers, Manchester City, will receive approximately £10 million owing to a sell-on clause negotiated as part of the £8m move to Dortmund in 2017. The move finally concluded a long-drawn transfer saga as Jadon Sancho has been repeatedly linked with the Red Devils over the past couple of years.
This serves as a statement of the club’s intent to sign the 21-year-old and at the same time puts the forward under pressure to perform from the get go.
The young Englishman took the bold step of leaving England for more first-team opportunities in Germany. English players have historically been reluctant to plying their trade elsewhere on the continent, but Sancho’s decision to leave the country at the age of 17 speaks volumes of his mental prowess.
Price-tag pressure can always be a massive factor at big clubs like we’ve seen with Eden Hazard at Real Madrid recently. However, Sancho should be adequately equipped to deal with this pressure.
#4 Lack of a full pre-season
Due to his involvement with England’s senior squad until the 11th of July, Sancho has been unable to take part in the entirety of Manchester United’s pre-season training and fixtures.
The youngster is set to miss all of United’s pre-season fixtures leading up to their season opener against arch-rivals Leeds United on 14th August. In a press conference leading up to Manchester United’s pre-season friendly against Queens Park Rangers, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirmed that Copa America and Euro 2020 finalists Jadon Sancho and Fred will be back in “about 10 days time”.
This suggests that Sancho’s first training session at Carrington will not take place before the first week of August. A midweek return could allow the forward some valuable time on the pitch in Manchester United’s final pre-season fixture against Everton on 7th August.
Even the best players in world football require some time to get used to new conditions and new teammates, and Sancho is no different.