Jadon Sancho: Player Profile - Borussia Dortmund 2019
Jadon Sancho is an 18-year-old right winger who currently plays for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga. He has also featured for England's national side four times since his debut back in October 2018.
Since joining Dortmund from Manchester City in the summer of 2017, Sancho has evolved into a player ten-times better than the one he was in England. It helps that the Bundesliga is much easier than the Premier League too, as it has given Sancho the chance to develop through ample first team action.
His stats for the 2018/19 season alone are a sight to behold: 8 goals and 16 assists in 27 matches. These sort of figures are usually expected from world-class players in their peak, not a teenager who is still learning the craft.
Whilst Sancho is predominantly played out on the right flank, he can also be utilised on the left, as both require the attributes that he specialises in: speed, top dribbling ability, and the timing to know when to cut inside a defender and pick out a pass, which he's clearly done very well so far this season if his 16 assists are anything to go by.
Sancho's tactical role in the side is actually far more complex than simply being a right winger; having acknowledged how great a player he is, Dortmund manager Lucien Favre has granted Sancho the option of floating across the attacking third in order to take defenders with him.
This opens up a gap in the opposition's defence which is then exploited by Sancho's teammates before the opposition have enough time to recover and defend.
Moreover, Sancho is a known sharpshooter of the ball, which therefore makes him most dangerous around the area often occupied by an attacking midfielder, just behind the striker(s), preparing to unleash a shot from just outside of the box should the ball fall to his feet.
Jadon Sancho has three years left on his contract with Borussia Dortmund but with Manchester United expressing their interest in the 19-year-old, they may struggle to keep hold of him regardless this summer.
Sancho is reportedly on top of United's shortlist but it will take a fee in the region of around £70-100m for Dortmund to consider doing business.