- Jadon Sancho fell out with Erik ten Hag and was exiled from the squad last term
- He moved to Dortmund on loan before securing another loan to Chelsea
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Manchester United reportedly asked high-profile pundits to stop praising Jadon Sancho during the winger’s loan stint at Borussia Dortmund.
The 24-year-old fell out with Erik ten Hag after the then-Red Devils boss left him out of the squad that suffered a 3-1 defeat against Arsenal last September, due to his ‘performance in training’.
Sancho hit back on social media, accusing his manager of making him a ‘scapegoat’, and Ten Hag responded by exiling the England international from his squad. Sancho was forced to train, eat and change on his own, and refused to apologise until the club eventually sanctioned a temporary move to his former club Dortmund.
Back in familiar surroundings, Sancho shone, recording six goal contributions and helping the side reach their first Champions League final in more than a decade. His displays promoted a wave of praise from pundits, who lauded his return to form.
But according ESPN, United were wary of how his performances were viewed as amid their own struggles in the Premier League and they instructed pundits to tone down the flattery.
The outlet claim that the Red Devils were aware that their decision to freeze out Sancho was a poor reflection on their decision making.
It is understood that some players felt Ten Hag was being too harsh on Sancho, and that ordering him to apologise in public was an unnecessary demand.
Sancho returned to Carrington in the summer, and with no club willing to match United’s asking price for the 24-year-old he was brought back into the first team squad after reaching a truce with Ten Hag.
Ten Hag was not comfortable with bringing Sancho back into the fold, though, as he wondered whether his authority would be questioned, and this led to Sancho being loaned out to Chelsea on deadline day in August.
Chelsea will have an obligation to buy Sancho for £23m next summer, which represents a £50m loss for United after they bought him for £73m in 2021.
Sancho has also started well at Chelsea, registering three assists in his first five league appearances, while Ten Hag is now back in the Netherlands after sacked by the club on Monday.
Sporting CP manager Ruben Amorim is inching closer to replace him in the dugout, while his assistant Ruud van Nistelrooy will take charge of the side in their Carabao Cup fixture against Leicester on Wednesday night.
