Borussia Dortmund boss Lucien Favre says transfer speculation caused Jadon Sancho's poor form
Borussia Dortmund manager Lucien Favre has said that it is possible that the constant transfer speculation around Jadon Sancho throughout the summer could be the reason for his slow start to the season.
Favre said, according to the Daily Mail, that Sancho could have become unsettled at Borussia Dortmund, after an entire summer of speculation over whether he would join Manchester United or not.
The young English winger was a transfer target for Manchester United, but any potential move fell through with the Red Devils' refusal to pay Borussia Dortmund's £108million asking price.
Borussia Dortmund had set an August 10 deadline for Manchester United to complete any deal for Sancho, which didn't transpire. However, the Englishman was continually linked to a move to Old Trafford right until the end of the transfer window, which shut on October 5.
Sancho has only scored once so far this season, and that was in a DFB Pokal game against lower-division opposition, in MSV Duisburg.
Lucien Favre acknowledges Sancho's poor form for Borussia Dortmund
Favre said that the reason for Sancho's slow start to the season could well be the events of the summer.
"Every player has slow periods. There was a lot of talk about Jadon during the summer - something like that can be a factor," Favre said.
However, in an attempt to take any pressure off Sancho's shoulders, Favre said that some periods of bad form are inevitable for all players, and that it was not a serious concern at the moment. Favre said that it was time to accept that players can go through dips.
"No player is consistently in top form for an entire year, that's impossible. You have to accept that," added the German head coach of Borussia Dortmund.
Sancho's form notwithstanding, Borussia Dortmund have made an excellent start to the season, winning four out of five games in the Bundesliga. That has left them just a point behind early league leaders RB Leipzig.
However, they were well-beaten in their first Group F fixture in the UEFA Champions League, losing 3-1 to Lazio. Ahead of their second game on Wednesday against Russian champions FC Zenit, Dortmund know that a slip-up could make it a long road back to ensure qualification for the next round.