Erik ten Hag reacts to Jadon Sancho’s UCL performance, addresses Manchester United loanee’s future
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag reacted warmly to Jadon Sancho's performance for Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday (May 1) in the UEFA Champions League.
The 24-year-old Englishman has been on loan at BvB since January for the rest of the season. Back at his familiar surroundings, albeit on loan, Sancho turned back the clock with a superlative performance in the 1-0 win over PSG in the Champions League semifinal first leg in midweek.
Although the on-loan United attacker didn't make a goal contribution, Sancho was one of the standout performers. He became the first player since Lionel Messi in 2008 (against United) to register at least 12 tackles in a Champions game and also impressed in other aspects.
Ten Hag paid due cognisance of the performance, saying that United shelled out the big bucks for him for a reason. However, the Dutchman was non-commital about Sancho's future at the club.
“Jadon played very good, he showed why Manchester United bought him, and he showed he represents a high value for the club, which is good. I'm happy for Jadon, for his performance yesterday, and we'll see what is going to happen in the future.”
It's pertinent to note that Sancho was ostracised from the first-team environment since the Premier League defeat at Arsenal earlier this season after a public feud with the boss. Ten Hag said that Sancho wasn't chosen for the game due to his poor conduct in training, but the player claimed that he was being made a scapegoat.
With the Englishman refusing to apologise, he didn't play again the rest of the season, putting his United future into doubt. He has been loaned out to Dortmund for the season, but his future at Old Trafford beyond the summer remains unclear.
How has Jadon Sancho fared for Manchester United?
Jadon Sancho has had a rather forgettable stint at Manchester United since his arrival from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2021.
In two seasons at the club, the Englishman has only shown glimpses of his Dortmund form, bagging 12 goals and six assists in 82 games across competitions.
Sancho has played only thrice this season - all from the bench - and hasn't made a goal contribution in 76 cumulative minutes of game time. United won two of the three games and lost the other.