LOS ANGELES, California — On the surface at least, there have been few signs of the preseason turmoil that had enveloped Jadon Sancho's career for most of the year.
On Friday afternoon, Sancho arrived by golf cart to train at UCLA’s Wallis Annenberg Stadium. He was smiling and joking with Marcus Rashford. And while other teammates have been battling jet lag at the start of Manchester United’s preseason tour of the West Coast of the United States, Sancho has been sleeping soundly. One member of the traveling team couldn’t believe he had managed to sleep through almost the entire 11-hour flight from Manchester to LAX, and then enjoyed a full eight hours on Wednesday night once the team landed.
The atmosphere is very different to that of September 2023, when Sancho attacked manager Erik ten Hag in an explosive social media post that earned him a ban from the first-team camp at Carrington for more than four months. That was followed by a rushed loan move to his former club Borussia Dortmund in January and a successful return to Germany, which ended with an appearance in the Champions League final against Real Madrid at Wembley in June.
For now, though, Sancho is back at United. He would not be in California were it not for talks to clear the air with Ten Hag earlier this month, a surprising development given the rift had shown no signs of easing over the previous 10 months.
The official explanation is that Sancho has rejoined the team after “reflecting on past issues” and that Ten Hag has agreed to put the matter behind him and move on. It is not clear whether the Dutchman received the apology he had initially demanded, and some sources have limited themselves to saying that there has been some restraint on both sides.
Ten Hag was asked about the situation at a news conference in Los Angeles on Friday and said only: “We need good players, and he is a very good player.”
There is no doubting Sancho's talent, and he showed it with a spectacular performance in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain in May. But what is less clear is whether he can do it under the intense glare of the United spotlight.
His three-year spell at Old Trafford has so far been a huge disappointment. Having finally arrived in 2021 in a £73m deal after a two-year search, he has shown glimpses in his 58 Premier League appearances but not much else.
1:39
Why signing Mazraoui would be a sensible move for Manchester United
Mark Ogden and Stewart Robson react to Manchester United's interest in Bayern Munich defender Noussair Mazraoui.
Part of the problem has been his position. At the time of his transfer, United sources were keen to explain that he had been signed to play on the right wing, a problematic position for the club for a number of years. However, Sancho prefers to play on the left, where United already have Rashford.
The problem hasn't gone away, in fact it's become more pronounced. Rashford still wants to play on the left, as does Alejandro Garnacho. Garnacho is on an extended break after going to the Copa America with Argentina, but with Sancho and Rashford training at UCLA on Friday, both were making a point to Ten Hag, who was keeping an eye on them.
In two seven-a-side sessions led by new assistant coach René Hake, Rashford and Sancho played on different teams and both occupied positions on the left wing. Sancho occasionally moved inside but Rashford stayed as wide as possible, cutting in at his defender before cutting in with his right foot to shoot.
Rashford was selected on the left for the friendly against Arsenal at SoFi Stadium on Saturday and set up Rasmus Hojlund with a clipped pass over the bar. Sancho replaced Rashford at half-time and was quiet except for confidently stepping forward and scoring the winning penalty in the shoot-out late in the game.
United had been open to offers for Sancho before his return and, despite his re-introduction to the first team, that remains the case. There is a theory that part of Manchester United's motivation for bringing him back was that a player in exile depreciates much quicker than one who is an active part of the team and, at the very least, Sancho is staying fit and training at a high level.
The problem is that United's valuation of around £40m has so far deterred most suitors, including Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus. Dortmund would love to have him back, but only on loan, and as things stand, United are not prepared to consider another temporary move, particularly one that requires paying a large chunk of his wages. Whether their stance changes as the deadline approaches remains to be seen, and could be determined by how long the truce with Ten Hag lasts.
The ideal outcome for United is for the gap to be closed and for Sancho to start showing the consistent form that convinced the club to make him their fourth most expensive signing in history. If that happens, Ten Hag will sleep as soundly as Sancho next season.
