"I hope he's doing well and he'll be a success" - Manchester United boss Ten Hag reacts as Jadon Sancho seals return to Dortmund
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has wished Jadon Sancho well following the English winger's loan move to Borussia Dortmund.
Sancho, 23, has returned to Dortmund on loan until the end of the season. The deal doesn't include a buy option and the Bundesliga club have paid a reported €4 million (£3.4 million) loan fee.
The England international's departure comes after a nightmare spell at Manchester United. He fell out with Ten Hag earlier this season when the manager questioned his level of commitment to training.
Sancho hit back with a strongly worded statement on social media which he further deleted. But, their relationship has been in tatters ever since, with the player not making an appearance for the club since August.
Ten Hag was asked about Sancho's move to Dortmund in his pre-match press conference ahead of his side's clash with Tottenham Hotspur (January 14). He said (via Manchester Evening News):
"I hope he's doing well, so I wish him the best of good luck. That's it. I hope he's doing well and he'll be a success."
A reporter looked to push him further on the matter but he refused to:
"I replied [to the previous question], I think it's enough."
Sancho joined the Red Devils from BvB back in July 2021 for €85 million. He's made 82 appearances across competitions since then, posting 12 goals and six assists.
Jadon Sancho is delighted to be back on the pitch after leaving Manchester United
Jadon Sancho disabled his Instagram account amid the controversy that unfolded during his time at Old Trafford. But, he's since reactivated his account following his move back to Signal Iduna Park.
The English attacker has already trained with his teammates, something he hadn't done at Manchester United since being banished from Ten Hag's first team. He wore a smile while doing so in a post uploaded on his Instagram account. He captioned it:
"Good to be back on the pitch."
Jadon Sancho was a massive hit at Dortmund during his previous four-year spell with the Bundesliga giants. He made 137 appearances across competitions, scoring 50 goals and providing 64 assists.
The former Manchester City academy graduate finished second on the Golden Boy 2019 podium. Many were expecting him to flourish when he headed to Manchester United two years later.
However, that didn't happen with Sancho struggling not only for form but also with apparent timekeeping issues. His former Red Devils teammate Nemanja Matic named him as one of two players who were constantly late for training.